Helicopter crashes in Pakistan during monsoon rescue mission, 5 dead

A helicopter crashed during a rescue mission in monsoon-hit northern Pakistan on Friday, killing five crew on board, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said in a statement.

"An MI-17 helicopter of the provincial government, carrying relief goods for rain-affected areas of Bajaur, crashed in the Pandiyali area of Mohmand district due to bad weather," Ali Amin Gandapur said in a statement. "Five crew members, including two pilots, were killed."

“The provincial government has called for a day of mourning tomorrow and flags will be flown at half mast,” the statement added. “Rescue teams have been dispatched to the crash site and the martyrs will be buried with full honours.”

In an earlier statement, the CM was quoted as saying that contact with the helicopter had been lost due to “bad weather".

With inputs from agencies