KP govt helicopter crashes in Buner district, three dead

Buner: Three people were killed after the helicopter owned by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government crashed in the Chingai Banda area in Buner district on Friday.

According to senior officials, a helicopter crashed near Sukai, close to Chengai Banda, due to unknown reasons.

Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah stated that the helicopter was en route to Bajaur to participate in relief operations.

The Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said that contact had been lost with the MI-17 helicopter. He directed that teams be dispatched to the area immediately, adding that the provincial government’s second helicopter is engaged in rescue operations in Buner district.

Rescue officials reported that in the Salarzai tehsil of Bajaur district, in the Jabrai area, a flash flood last night destroyed several homes, while access roads and bridges were swept away.

According to authorities, 21 bodies have so far been recovered from various incidents in Bajaur. Local residents said that seven people remain missing, and search efforts are ongoing. Three injured individuals received immediate medical treatment before being transferred to the hospital.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar said that their focus is on search and rescue operations, and that rescue teams are arriving in Buner district.

He appealed to the public to remain cautious, and urged that until the search and rescue mission is completed, all members of the National and Provincial Assemblies, provincial ministers, and local government representatives should remain in the affected areas.