SRINAGAR: A Pakistan Army Aviation Mi-17 helicopter crashed near Muzaffarabad on Wednesday shortly after take-off after developing a technical fault, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The military confirmed that all personnel on board were killed in the incident, with no survivors reported.
The Mi-17 is a Russian-built medium-lift transport helicopter produced by the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant as an upgraded variant of the Mi-8 platform. It is widely used for troop transport, medical evacuation and cargo operations.
The aircraft is capable of carrying up to 30 troops, 12 stretcher patients, or approximately 4,000kg of cargo. It can also lift external loads of up to three tonnes. Powered by two Klimov TV3-117 engines, the helicopter has a maximum speed of around 250 km/h.
