Pakistan helicopter goes missing with high-ranking army officers on board

QUETTA: A military helicopter with an army general and five others went missing on Monday during a flood relief operation in southern Pakistan, the army said.

The army aviation helicopter, which was helping with the operation in Lasbela district in southern Balochistan province had lost contact with air traffic control, the army said in a statement.

It said six people, including the army general, who commands southern 12 Corps were on board. The military did not say how long the helicopter had been missing.

Local police said it had been missing for over six hours.

There hasn't been any trace of the chopper since a rescue operation began, said police official Pervez Umrani. The search had been halted due to bad weather and will resume on Tuesday morning, he said.

An intelligence official said Director General Pakistan Coast Guard Brigadier Amjad Hanif Satti was also on board besides the Corps Commander Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ali and two majors.

Southern Pakistan has been hit hard by floods after unusual monsoon rains that have killed scores of people and swept away hundreds of houses, according to the disaster management agency.