JAKARTA, May 19: Indonesia’s ambassador to Pakistan died today, 11 days after he was injured in a helicopter crash in northern Pakistan that killed seven others, Indonesia’s foreign minister said.
Burhan Muhammad, 58, was on a military helicopter that crashed in a mountainous area, killing Muhammad’s wife, the ambassadors of Norway and the Philippines, and three Pakistani crewmen.
“The foreign ministry has lost one of its best diplomats,” Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said. The Pakistani government has said the helicopter crashed because of engine failure, dismissing Pakistani Taliban claims that militants had shot it down. The Mi-17 helicopter crashed into an empty school while those on board were inspecting a tourism project.
Muhammad, who had been based in Islamabad since 2008, was taken to a hospital in Singapore for treatment after the May 8 crash. His body would be taken to the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta later today, the foreign ministry said. Pakistan has said 17 people were on board the helicopter. The ambassadors of Poland and the Netherlands were among the injured.
(agencies)
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