Pakistan plane crashes with 107 on board, at least 2 survivors
Karachi, May 22: At least 34 people have died when a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane with 107 people on board crashed into a densely populated residential area near the Jinnah International Airport here on Friday, officials said.
According to reports, flight PK-8303 took off from Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport and crashed in Model Colony, approximately 4 kilometers away from the airport.
The PIA Airbus A320 had 98 people on board including 91 passengers and seven flight crew, the report quoted the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) sources as saying.
Sindh Health Minister Azra Pechuho said that 34 bodies have so far been shifted to hospitals. "So far 19 bodies were shifted to Jinnah hospital and 15 to Civil hospital," she said. The minister said that three survivors have been retrieved from the debris.
The CAA sources said that its communication with the plane was cut off one minute before its landing. Several houses have been damaged in the area where the aircraft crashed.
Smoke can be seen rising from the crash site.
Pia Plane airbus 320 crash near karachi airport,hits 4 to 5 houses,91 passenger onboard.#planecrash pic.twitter.com/NtetVn0BzM
— Khurram Ansari (@khurram143) May 22, 2020
According to Pakistani media, the plane crashed in an area near Model Colony where there is a human population. Meanwhile, electricity has been cut off in the area.
A statement by the Pakistan Army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that Army Quick Reaction Force and Sindh Pakistan Rangers reached the spot for carrying out rescue and relief operations alongside civil administration.
Minister of Health and Population Welfare has declared emergency in all major hospitals of Karachi after the incident, Dawn news quoted Meeran Yousuf, the media coordinator to the Sindh health minister, as saying.