Posted: 11:01 pm EDT
[twitter-follow screen_name=’Diplopundit’ ]
Members of the diplomatic corps in Pakistan scheduled to attend the inauguration of a tourism project in the northern part of the country were killed on May 8th when a helicopter crashed landed in the Gilgit-Baltistan region. Local media reports say that the diplomatic party included members from 37 countries.
Pakistani Taliban has claimed that militants shot down the helicopter with an anti-aircraft missile. The Pakistan government said the aircraft suffered engine failure. The BBC reported that the area is not a a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP).
Among the seven killed in the crash are Philippine Ambassador to Pakistan Domingo Lucenario Jr., Norwegian Ambassador Leif Larsen and the wife of the Malaysian ambassador, Datin Habibah Mahmud and the wife of the Indonesian ambassador, Heri Listyawati Burhan Muhammad. Two pilots and one crew member were also reportedly killed. Those wounded include the ambassador to Pakistan from Poland, the Netherlands, and Indonesia. Reports here via the Express Tribune Pk. The diplomats involved in the crash returned to Islamabad on May 9th, click here for a video via Reuters.
.
Gilgit helicopter crash: Polish and Dutch ambassadors wounded http://t.co/88J4soNwn3
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) May 8, 2015
.
Pakistan military helicopter crashes, killing six people including Norwegian and Philippine ambassadors http://t.co/1GabGY4j92
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) May 8, 2015
.
“@asadmunir38: LIVE: Norway, Philippines ambassadors among 8 killed in Gilgit helicopter crash http://t.co/1YiOa43vGr”TRAGIC
— Nusrat Jamil (@NusratJamil) May 8, 2015
.
Contradictory reports emerge over a Pakistani helicopter crash that killed ambassadors: http://t.co/aEvpzr7VS9 pic.twitter.com/xW9nidf5m0
— VICE News (@vicenews) May 8, 2015
.
U.S. Ambassador Olson extends his deepest condolences for those killed and injured in today’s tragic helicopter crash http://t.co/n6PdEwDAnv
— US Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) May 8, 2015
.
“Those who took care of me are like my brothers & sisters”: surviving diplomats recall fatal #Pakistan heli crash. http://t.co/uPw1XUe9mg
— Charles Haviland (@cfhaviland) May 11, 2015
#