A rescue helicopter of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government crashed in Bajaur on Friday during ongoing relief operations in areas battered by record-breaking monsoon weather.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government spokespersons said a rescue helicopter crashed in Bajaur, wherein five people, including three pilots of the helicopter, embraced martyrdom in the unfortunate incident.

Officials said the crash occurred as the province struggles with unprecedented flooding, cloudbursts, and relentless rains that have wreaked havoc on communities.

According to provincial authorities, over 200 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the past several days, while hundreds more have been injured and thousands displaced. The disaster has destroyed homes, infrastructure, and farmland, leaving vast areas inundated.

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Rescue and relief efforts are ongoing in the worst-hit districts, with security forces, provincial agencies, and volunteers working round the clock to reach stranded residents. Authorities have warned that continued heavy rains could worsen the situation and urged the public to take precautionary measures.

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KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur confirmed the fatalities, saying the crew sacrificed their lives while trying to save others.

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Rescue teams were dispatched immediately to the crash site. The provincial government has announced a day of mourning, with the national flag to be flown at half-mast across the province tomorrow.

Gandapur said the martyrs will be laid to rest with full state honours and expressed solidarity with their families in grief. He called the fallen crew “true heroes” whose sacrifice will be remembered in golden words in history.