Close X
Saturday, November 30, 2024
ADVT 
International

Norway, Philippines Envoys Among Seven Dead In Pakistan Chopper Crash

Darpan News Desk IANS, 08 May, 2015 01:28 PM
  • Norway, Philippines Envoys Among Seven Dead In Pakistan Chopper Crash
The ambassadors of the Philippines and Norway were among seven people killed on Friday in a chopper crash in Pakistan's Naltar valley near Gilgit.
 
Even as the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed the crash was caused by an attack it carried out, the army said the chopper "developed technical fault" while landing, media reports said. 
 
In an update on Twitter, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asim Bajwa said the dead included four foreigners -- Ambassadors Domingo D. Lucinerio Jr. of the Philippines and Leif Larsen of Norway and the wives of the Malaysian and Indonesian ambassadors -- and three Pakistanis -- two pilots and one crew member.
 
He said that according to initial information, two helicopters belonging to the Pakistan Army landed safely "while the third developed technical fault while landing", which caused the accident.
 
He ruled out the possibility of any terrorist or subversive activity, according to Dawn online.
 
The Pakistan Army helicopter crash-landed on a school, the report said, adding that Dutch Ambassador Marcel de Vink and Polish Ambassador Andrzej Ananicz were injured in the incident.
 
Earlier, in a series of tweets, Bajwa said that six Pakistanis and 11 foreigners were on board the MI-17 helicopter.
 
Three helicopters were carrying a delegation of foreign diplomats and their wives and aides to Gilgit-Baltistan, where they were scheduled to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. 
 
"It was a diplomatic trip with members of 37 countries in total," said a passenger in one of the helicopters, who requested anonymity, adding that the school caught fire after the chopper crashed on it.
 
Expressing grief over the death of the envoys, Sharif has announced a one-day mourning, Associated Press of Pakistan reported. He was scheduled to visit Gilgit on Friday for the inauguration of two projects.
 
Shortly after the incident, the injured were taken to a military hospital in Gilgit, officials said.
 
A board of inquiry has been constituted to investigate the cause of the crash.

MORE International ARTICLES

Over 5,000 Dead In Nepal Quake; 1,600 Tourists Rescued

Over 5,000 Dead In Nepal Quake; 1,600 Tourists Rescued
The toll in the massive earthquake that devastated Nepal on April 25 crossed 5,000 on Wednesday, Sindhupalchok being the worst affected district with 1,400 deaths, the government said.

Over 5,000 Dead In Nepal Quake; 1,600 Tourists Rescued

Payments For Caring For Kids, Elderly Will Benefit Women: UN's Laxmi Puri

Payments For Caring For Kids, Elderly Will Benefit Women: UN's Laxmi Puri
Making the care of children, the elderly and the sick into economically paying jobs could become an engine of employment benefiting at least one billion women worldwide, according to Laxmi Puri, a ranking UN official on women's issues.

Payments For Caring For Kids, Elderly Will Benefit Women: UN's Laxmi Puri

4,347 Dead in Nepal, Prime Minister Koirala Fears Toll May Touch 10,000

4,347 Dead in Nepal, Prime Minister Koirala Fears Toll May Touch 10,000
The death toll in Nepal's deadly earthquake could touch as high as 10,000, Prime Minister Sushil Koirala warned on Tuesday, as the Himalayan nation battled food and water shortages and rescuers reached some of the remotest areas worst hit by the disaster.

4,347 Dead in Nepal, Prime Minister Koirala Fears Toll May Touch 10,000

Indian-Origin Duo Develop App To Detect Sleep Apnoea At Home

Indian-Origin Duo Develop App To Detect Sleep Apnoea At Home
A team of Indian-American researchers from the University of Washington (UW) has developed an app that uses a smartphone to wirelessly test for obstructive sleep apnoea in a person's bedroom.

Indian-Origin Duo Develop App To Detect Sleep Apnoea At Home

Indo-Canadian NBA Player Sim Bhullar To Visit India In May

Indo-Canadian NBA Player Sim Bhullar To Visit India In May
Sim Bhullar, who became the first Indian-origin player to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the US, will visit India from May 2 to 7 to promote basketball and inspire children to stay active and healthy by playing the game.

Indo-Canadian NBA Player Sim Bhullar To Visit India In May

US Lawmakers Move To Speed Up Visa Approvals For Indian Doctors

US Lawmakers Move To Speed Up Visa Approvals For Indian Doctors
Citing a shortage of physicians in the US, two lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan legislation to speed-up visa approval for Indian and Pakistani doctors slated to work at US hospitals.

US Lawmakers Move To Speed Up Visa Approvals For Indian Doctors