Just when everything seemed to be coming good for Pakistan, the Army MI-17 crash in Naltar brought us literally and figuratively down to earth. What made this great tragedy different was that the Ambassadors of Norway and Philippines as well as the wives of the Malaysian and Indonesian Ambassadors, lost their lives. Several other Ambassadors and their wives were among those injured. The seven killed in the crash included the two pilots, Majors Altamash and Faisal. Both qualified VIP pilots, each had more than 10 years flying experience. The highly inflammable JP-4 fuel ignited an inferno that engulfed the aircraft after it crash-landed on the top of the Army Public School (APS). Classes were fortunately suspended for the day, schoolchildren among the casualties would have been horrendous.
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