A Pakistani army helicopter crashed in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir due to a technical fault, the military said on Wednesday, adding there were no survivors.
"An Mi-17 helicopter of Pakistan Army Aviation crashed near Muzaffarabad today during take-off due to technical fault," the military's media wing said in a statement.
"All personnel on board embraced Shahadat (martyrdom)," the military added, without specifying the number of people killed.
The crash occurred near Muzaffarabad, the regional capital, during an ongoing protest and strike called by the Joint Awami Action Committee, a recently banned alliance of various groups.
The military didn't suggest any link between the protest and the crash.
Witnesses said that the helicopter crashed shortly after take-off from a helipad. Ambulances arrived at the scene and transported the victims to a nearby hospital.
“Rescue and recovery teams immediately reached the crash site,” the military said, adding that a board of inquiry had been ordered to determine the exact cause of the crash.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the crash, paying tribute to those killed. In separate statements, they conveyed sympathies to the victims' families.
Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, also expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life and extended condolences to the families of those killed, according to the statement.
Kashmir is considered highly sensitive by the Pakistani military and government after years of frequent skirmishes and full-blown wars with India.
Muslim-majority Kashmir is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan but has been divided between them since their independence from British rule.
