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2nd LD: Ambassadors among 6 killed in north Pakistan's helicopter crash-landing

Xinhua, May 8, 2015 Adjust font size:

At least six people, including the ambassadors of Norway and the Philippines, were killed, and 11 others injured when a military helicopter carrying 11 foreigners and six Pakistanis crash-landed in Pakistan's north Gilgit region on Friday, the military said.

Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations, Major General Asim Saeed Bajwa, said on his Twitter account that the ambassadors of Poland and Netherlands also got injured in the accident.

Bajwa said that "2 pilots, 4 foreigners fatalities. (Ambassador Philippine, Norway, wives of Malaysian & Indonesian Ambassadors). Injured Polish and Dutch Ambassadors."

Dawn TV said the chopper was set to land in a school but it met an accident at about 11:00 a.m. local time (0600 GMT). It caught fire and resulted in the fatalities.

Cause of the accident remained unknown. However local media reported the helicopter hit the school wall while landing.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was scheduled to visit Gilgit Friday for an inauguration of two projects and the people onboard were going to attend the event.

Meanwhile, Pakistani Taliban claimed the responsibility for bringing down the MI-17 military helicopter.

"The special task force of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had prepared a special plan during the visit of the prime minister but he escaped as he was in other helicopter," a purported TTP spokesman said.

He said the helicopter was shot down by an anti-aircraft missile. Endi