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ISLAMABAD: At least 12 people were killed Thursday when a helicopter belonging to the army crashed in northwest Pakistan, officials said.
Bodies were recovered from the site of the accident near Mansehra town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, around 170 km north of Islamabad, said senior police official Nujeebur Rehman.
Two security officials said there appeared to be no link to militant activity.
The charred corpses were burnt beyond recognition and the aircraft, which was carrying aid supplies, was still on fire in the evening, he added.
“An army helicopter carrying relief items crashed around 35 km northwest of Mansehra this evening. Eight dead bodies have been found,” Rehman told AFP.
“The accident occurred in a hilly area that is not easily accessible — the helicopter is still on fire,” he said.
An official of the military’s media wing confirmed the incident, adding that the helicopter was carrying relief items and medicines to the northern city of Gilgit.
The accident comes after a helicopter of the Pakistan air force crashed in the flood-hit district of Chitral, although no causalities were reported.
The Russian-built Mi-17, used by air forces across the world, has had a patchy safety record in recent years.
In May, an Mi-17 army helicopter crashed at a holiday resort in the picturesque hills of Gilgit killing seven people, including two ambassadors.
Known for its spectacular mountain ranges, Gilgit-Baltistan is a strategically important autonomous region that borders China, Afghanistan and Indian-held Kashmir.