ISLAMABAD: A helicopter belonging to Pakistan’s Mari Petroleum Company (MPC) crashed in North Waziristan on Saturday after suffering a technical fault during take off, killing six people and injuring eight others, the company said.
The helicopter was carrying 14 people including three Russian pilots and crew members when it encountered a technical fault during takeoff in the North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The helicopter was en route from an oil field operated by MPC when the accident occurred.
“In the accident, six people died and eight were injured,” MPC said in a statement. The company clarified that the crash was caused by an engine failure, ruling out any signs of sabotage. “The crash was caused by engine failure — no signs of sabotage were found.”
The injured have been transported to a military hospital for treatment.
The MPC team had been visiting the region to conduct fieldwork related to its oil exploration and production operations.
