A helicopter crash due to engine failure kills seven in northwest Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A helicopter crash due to engine failure has killed seven people and injured seven others in Pakistan’s northwest, a security official said Saturday.

The chartered flight was transporting oil company employees when it crashed in North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Three foreigners — pilot and crew — were on board. Security official didn’t reveal their nationalities, and it is not clear if they are among the dead.

He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

There were no signs of sabotage and the injured have been taken to a military hospital, said the official.

“A technical fault occurred in the helicopter while taking off,” he said. “The tail rotor hit the ground while making an emergency landing and an investigation into the accident has started.”

The crash site, Shewa, is about 200 kilometers (124 miles) southwest of the provincial capital Peshawar.

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