Six officers including one Lieutenant General of the Pakistani Army were killed in a helicopter crash in the Lasbela district of Balochistan. It is believed that the accident occurred due to bad weather.
The Pakistan Army aviation helicopter was on flood relief operations in Balochistan's Lasbela district.
According to local media reports, Commander 12 Corps Lieutenant General Sarfaraz Ali, who was supervising Balochistan's relief operations, Brigadier Amjad Hanif, Brigadier Muhammad Khalid, Major Saeed Ahmed, Major M Talha Manan, and Naik Mudassar Fayyaz were killed in the crash.
The wreckage of the Army Aviation helicopter, which went missing a day earlier, has been found and the Pakistan military's media wing has confirmed that all six passengers onboard were killed in the crash.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the wreckage was found in the Musa Goth area of Windar in the Lasbela district.
The wreckage of unfortunate hel which was on flood relief ops found in Musa Goth, Windar, Lasbela. All 6 offrs & sldrs incl Lt Gen Sarfraz Ali embraced shahadat. اِنّا لِلَّٰهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) August 2, 2022
Accident occurred due to bad weather as per initial investigations . DTF pic.twitter.com/dnyano2vqC
In a statement on Twitter, the military's media wing said, "The wreckage of an unfortunate helicopter which was on flood relief ops found in Musa Goth, Windar, Lasbela. All six officers and soldiers including Lt Gen Sarfraz Ali embraced shahadat", The accident occurred due to bad weather as per initial investigations.
Chopper was missing since Monday
According to reports, a Pakistan Army aviation helicopter - on flood relief operations in Balochistan's Lasbela - went missing on Monday after it lost contact with air traffic control (ATC).
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said as many as six individuals, including Commander 12 Corps Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ali, supervising relief operations in the flood-hit province, were on board.
It is reported that the helicopter might have crashed and the chances of survival of all on board were slim. However, there was no official confirmation of the crash from the military's media wing till the filing of this report.
A Pakistan army aviation helicopter which was on flood relief operations in Lasbela, Balochistan lost contact with ATC. 6 individuals were on board including Commander 12 Corps who was supervising flood relief operations in Balochistan. Search operation is underway.DTF
— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) August 1, 2022
Army troops, police, and other rescue teams were busy, searching the helicopter but hilly area and damaged roads due to floods hampering the operation.
General Sarfraz was a contender for ISI chief
According to a report in Express Tribune of Pakistan, General Sarfraz, the southern command commander, was one of the contenders interviewed by former prime minister Imran Khan for the post of director of General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in October last year. He served as Pakistan's defence attaché in the United States.
