So far, the cause of the accident had not been ascertained, said the ISPR.—File Photo

ISLAMABAD: An army helicopter crashed during a test flight in northern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing five people on board, the military said.

The MI-17 helicopter came down on the runway of an airport in the northwestern city of Skardu.

“According to initial report, five persons including a pilot embraced shahadat (martyrdom),” in the crash, the military said in a statement.

It added three others, including a pilot, were injured.

Further details including the nature of the fault that led to the crash were not immediately available.

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Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that both pilots had been killed. The error is regretted, and has been corrected.