KARACHI A UN helicopter distributing food aid to victims of Pakistans devastating floods made a hard landing on water Friday causing several injuries, Pakistani and UN officials said.

There were no deaths in the incident, which happened in the Dadu area of southern Pakistan in Sindh province, where torrential monsoon rains have caused massive floods in the countrys worst humanitarian disaster.

The UN helicopter made a “forced landing or a hard landing” in water, World Food Programme spokesman Barry Came told AFP.

Pakistanis and foreigners were on the aircraft.

“There were 12 people on board. Were extremely relieved there were no deaths, but there have been injuries.

“We dont know the extent of those injuries at the moment. There is a rescue helicopter on the way to pick them up,” Came said.

Iqbal Memon, a local Pakistani administration official, told AFP “Due to some technical fault, the helicopter tried to make an emergency landing on an embankment and then it slipped into the water”.

At least three people were hurt and local villagers had helped to rescue those on board, he said.- AFP