ISLAMABAD: Two Pakistan Navy officers and a soldier were killed on Monday when a helicopter crashed in the country’s southwestern city of Gwadar, the navy said in a statement. 

The helicopter was on a routine training flight in Gwadar when it crashed, the statement said, adding that a possible technical fault during the flight could have caused the accident. 

“Two Pakistan Navy officers and a soldier achieved martyrdom due to the accident,” the statement said. “Pakistan Navy has started an investigation into the accident.”

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar expressed sorrow over the helicopter crash, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement. 

“The prime minister expressed grief and regret over the martyrdom of three Pakistan Navy personnel and prayed for patience for families of the martyrs,” the PMO said. 

Former president and Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) leader Asif Ali Zardari expressed his condolences over the helicopter crash and the loss of lives. 

“Asif Ali Zardari expressed condolences with the families of the martyrs,” the PPP wrote on the social media platform X. 

Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf expressed sorrow and regret over the incident. 

“The sacrifices by Pakistan’s armed forces for the country and the nation will always be remembered,” Ashraf was quoted as saying by the National Assembly’s official account on X.