Pakistan jet crashes near Karachi; over 107 feared dead
KARACHI, May 22, 2020
A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) passenger plane with 107 people on board crashed in a residential area near Karachi's Jinnah International Airport on Friday less than a minute before landing.
There was no initial word on casualties or survivors. The PIA flight PK-8303 was coming from Lahore.
"The plane crashed in Karachi. We are trying to confirm the number of passengers but initially it is 99 passengers and eight crew members," said Abdul Sattar Khokhar, the spokesman for Pakistan's aviation authority.
The plane crashed in the Jinnah Garden area near Model Colony in Malir. Videos posted online showed fire and smoke on the ground and several homes had reportedly caught fire.
Pictures shared on social media show smoke rising from the crash site, a residential area in Karachi.
Emergency services have arrived at the scene, where homes have been damaged, according to media reports.
The Pakistani army said its quick reaction force and paramilitary troops have reached the site for relief and rescue efforts alongside civil administration, reported Reuters.
A video shared online by Pakistan's GEO TV showed an emergency crew trying to reach the scene through rubble, with flames still visible in the background.
Civil aviation authorities were quoted by GEO as saying communication was cut off with the plane a minute before it was supposed to land.
PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez said that said it was premature to point out any technical fault in the plane and an independent institution will carry out an investigation to ascertain the cause of the crash.
Local TV station Geo showed crowds near the scene which appeared to be a densely populated area and ambulances trying to make their way through. It also showed black smoke billowing from the scene.
The crash comes just days after the country began allowing commercial flights to resume.
