Norwegian and Philippines Ambassadors killed in helicopter crash

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Norwegian and Philippines Ambassadors, along with wives of the Malaysian and Indonesian ambassadors in Pakistan, were killed in a helicopter crash.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Norwegian and Philippines Ambassadors, along with wives of the Malaysian and Indonesian ambassadors in Pakistan, were killed in a helicopter crash. According to reported details, the diplomats were on a touristic trip to the northern areas of Pakistan along with their wives on the invitation of the government of Pakistan as part of an initiative to promote tourism destinations among foreigners and diplomats.

Also onboard were a Polish ambassador and Dutch Ambassador who are among those injured persons.

An inquiry has been initiated by the Pakistan Army to find out the reason of this tragic incident.

Authorities called this eventuality as an accident, while the terrorist outfit Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is taking responsibility.

Sources in the Pakistan Army called the statement of the TTP “absurd and ridiculous.”

The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, was also traveling in the northern areas to launch development projects, but his helicopter was turned back to Islamabad after this incident.

TTP released a statement in the Urdu language and took responsibility for the incident claiming that TTP also attacked the helicopter of the Prime Minister who was heading to Gilgit-Baltistan, however, he survived the attack.

Seven persons including the diplomats were killed when their army chopper Mi-17 crashed into a school in Nultar valley.

Eyewitness told Dispatch News Desk that the helicopter was on a low flight when it crashed on a school building that was empty. Witnesses said that the Mi-17 helicopter was continuously losing elevation before it hit the building.

Leif H. Larsen, the Norwegian envoy, and Domingo D Lucenario, Jr. of the Philippines, along with wives of the Malaysian and Indonesian ambassadors were killed upon impact, while the Polish ambassador Andrzej Ananiczolish and Dutch envoy Marcel de Vink sustained serious injuries.

The Mi-17 helicopter was carrying a total of 17 people when it crashed, said Major-General Asim Bajwa, the official spokesman of the Pakistan Army.

A statement issued by Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) said: “The Chief of Pakistan Army General Raheel Sharif expressed his deepest grief over this tragic loss of precious lives of Major Altamash, Major Faisal, Naib Subedar Zakir, and foreign diplomats and their families in a helicopter crash at Naltar, near Gilgit today.โ€

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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