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.no details given so far (about the cause of the crash).
Re: Musharraf escort chopper crashes
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5j6zeu4xWh1Rh3AjJW_giSQNqMA5w
GARHI DOPATTA, Pakistan (AFP) — A helicopter escorting President Pervez Musharraf to an earthquake memorial crashed in Pakistani Kashmir, killing four troops and wounding his spokesman, officials said.
Musharraf was unharmed and his own chopper landed in Muzaffarabad, the regional capital, where he was presiding over a ceremony in remembrance of the 73,000 people killed in the October 8, 2005 quake, they said.
“The chopper was in the party going with the president when a technical fault developed, causing it to crash land and catch fire,” chief military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad told AFP.
“Four troops were killed. Major General retired Rashid Qureshi was also injured but he is out of danger,” said Arshad, referring to Musharraf’s official spokesman.
Another three people were injured including two security officials while the pilot of the Russian-built Mi-17 military chopper was unhurt.
“The president himself has reached his destination. The helicopter that crashed was behind the president’s,” Arshad added.
The helicopter was completely burned out and smashed into several pieces, according to an AFP correspondent at the scene of the crash near the town of Garhi Dopatta, some 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Muzaffarabad.
Military rescue teams had reached the area and cordoned it off.
Television footage taken soon after the accident showed hundreds of local people helping the injured and dousing the smoking wreckage with water from a nearby river.
Musharraf was due to make a speech hailing Pakistan’s recovery efforts – led by the military – after the giant 7.6-magnitude quake two years ago, which also left 2.5 million people homeless.
The crash came two days after Musharraf, a key US ally, swept to victory in a presidential election. However he must wait until later this month for the Supreme Court to officially confirm the result.
Several helicopters involved in the massive quake rescue operation have crashed in the mountainous terrain of Kashmir, a Himalayan territory split between Pakistan and rival India.
In March 2006 a Red Cross helicopter crashed while ferrying food to earthquake survivors, injuring the two South African crew members.
Six Pakistani soldiers were killed when another Mi-17 crashed days after the quake.
Re: Musharraf escort chopper crashes
Inna Lillah wa Inna ilaih-e-RajiOON
Thats very sad.
Re: Musharraf escort chopper crashes
Why did it crash? Mi-17 is made for that area which is why PA bought it!
Is there a lack of good training in Pakistan now?
Re: Musharraf escort chopper crashes
Technical malfunction from initial reports. They are pretty old machines, but it is not unheard of for helicopters to crash from time to time flying in difficult terrain.
The anti-mush crowd will be jumping in joy on this news.
Re: Musharraf escort chopper crashes
Seems like it crash-landed and caught fire.
No 382/2007-ISPR
Dated 08-10-07
Rawalpindi October 8; Four persons embraced Shahadat while five others were injured in a helicopter crash near Mazaffarabad today. Those who embraced Shahadat include Brigadier Zahoor Ahmed, Naik Ajmal, Sepoy Rashid and PTV cameraman Muhammad Farooq.
Reportedly a Puma helicopter of Army Aviation made a crash landing near Garhi Dopatta today at 1115 hours due to technical fault. Helicopter caught fire after landing . Rescue teams of Pakistan Army immediately rushed to the site of the incident. The injured persons have been evacuated to Combined Military Hospital Mazaffarabad and Rawalpindi.
An immediate inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the incident.
Re: Musharraf escort chopper crashes
Technical malfunction from initial reports. They are pretty old machines, but it is not unheard of for helicopters to crash from time to time flying in difficult terrain.
The anti-mush crowd will be jumping in joy on this news.
nope they r not.
Inna Lillah wa Inna ilaih-e-RajiOON
Re: Musharraf escort chopper crashes
Musharraf should ride in an ambulance...
Re: Musharraf escort chopper crashes
So ISPR clarifies it was not an Mi-17 but a Puma!
Dawn went ahead with the error and still reported Mi-17.
http://dawn.com/2007/10/09/top5.htm
Brigadier killed in helicopter crash
MUZAFFARABAD, Oct 8: A brigadier and three other people were killed when a Pakistan army helicopter crashed near here on Monday after developing a ‘technical fault’.
Eight others on board were injured.
The Russian-built Mi-17 chopper was escorting President General Pervez Musharraf to the border town of Chakothi for the ground-breaking ceremony of the Chakothi-Muzaffarabad highway and inauguration of some other projects on the second anniversary of the October 8 earthquake.
Sources said the helicopter developed a technical fault when it was hovering over Majhoi village, about 18 kilometres south of here, and soon went down in an uninhabited area along the right bank of River Jhelum.
“The helicopter suddenly changed its sound. I realised that it had developed some serious technical fault and may hit the ground anytime,” Khateeb Shah of Majhoi village told Dawn.
** He praised the pilot for saving the densely-populated village and crash-landed in an uninhabited place on the other side of the river.**
Hundreds of villagers from Majhoi and Ghori rushed to the place to carry out rescue work.
“Initially what appeared to be a minor fire soon engulfed the helicopter and gutted it,” said Nasir Qureshi of Ghori village.
But before that, he said, the villagers had already rescued the injured people and retrieved the four bodies.
Many villagers also kept pouring water from the nearby river on the smouldering wreckage which was later cordoned off by police and army, another villager said.
** Some witnesses said that as the chopper neared the ground, many on board, including President Musharraf’s official spokesman Maj-Gen (retired) Rashid Qureshi, jumped out which helped them escape with major injuries.**
ISPR director-general Maj-Gen Waheed Arshad told newsmen that the helicopter’s engine had backed up and because of that it immediately went down.
“The pilot made a crash landing. Once he did that the rear portion of the helicopter caught fire,” he said.
Five of the survivors, including Mr Qureshi, are said to have received bruises and minor burns, but three others suffered serious burn injuries.
They were immediately taken by villagers in private vehicles to a clinic in Garhi Dupatta, five kilometres off Majhoi.
Later, they were brought to Muzaffarabad in ambulances and after initial treatment in the CMH were flown to the CMH Rawalpindi.
** The four killed are: Brigadier Zahoor Ahmed, Sepoy Rashid (SSG), Naik Ajmal and PTV cameraman Mohammad Farooq. Their bodies were flown to Rawalpindi in an army helicopter.**
Re: Musharraf escort chopper crashes
Gens Kayani and Majeed took charge of their duties yesterday and the sad event happened the same day, Gen Mush and they all offered the Namaz-i-janaza together in the eve.
8 Oct 2007
http://ispr.gov.pk/Archive&Press/CurrentMonth/press.htm
Re: Musharraf escort chopper crashes
[QUOTE]
Some witnesses said that as the chopper neared the ground, many on board, including President Musharraf’s official spokesman Maj-Gen (retired) Rashid Qureshi, jumped out which helped them escape with major injuries.
[/QUOTE]
Seems Maj Gen Rashid Qureshi's years as an active infantry officer with a number of adventure courses like the para, mountaineers, divers' and gliders' eventually paid off! :)
Re: Musharraf escort chopper crashes
Inna Liillahe wa inna illahe rajaoon.Im going to ask my father about it..such a saddening fact:(..
Re: Musharraf escort chopper crashes
An inside job?
that doesnt make any sense...
if an inside job, why target the escort chopper?
Why not musharaf's chopper which was just ahead of them.....
Re: Musharraf escort chopper crashes
Seems Maj Gen Rashid Qureshi's years as an active infantry officer with a number of adventure courses like the para, mountaineers, divers' and gliders' eventually paid off! :)
Come on haris, you seem to be too obsessed with these high ranking officers... I know him personally, his bhateeja was my friend in eme, and his brother was some corrupt bigshot in the police... now what you just said doesnt apply to rashid qureshi, though i like him, hes got a big 'tidd' and i doubt he can climb stairs without stopping for a 'vodka'.
Re: Musharraf escort chopper crashes
:)
Re: Musharraf escort chopper crashes
Yep indeed.
Maj Gen Rashid Qureshi is a very brave and patriotic soldier. We need more people like him. :k:
Re: Musharraf escort chopper crashes
Come on haris, you seem to be too obsessed with these high ranking officers... I know him personally, his bhateeja was my friend in eme, and his brother was some corrupt bigshot in the police... now what you just said doesnt apply to rashid qureshi, though i like him, hes got a big 'tidd' and i doubt he can climb stairs without stopping for a 'vodka'.
Well Spock yaar, what I said was not because of any obsession with high ranking officers, but perhaps out of my obsession with military, if I must be accused of any obsession. You may know Gen Qureshi, his habits and family and his state now but why i made the comment was not because I am a die-hard fan of his but because I know he is an infantry man who spent his young life training and living an infantry life, has done the parachute course, the divers course, the mountaineers course and the gliders course apart from the professional academic staff courses, all which I appreciate in an officer, and what i appreciated even more was a 60 yr old heavy man's jumping out of a crashing chopper, something not many old nor young can do, and why he was able to do that in my opinion might have a connection with his active adventurous army life, we can infer.