Pakistan passenger plane crashes near airport - VIDEO - UPDATED

Pakistan passenger plane crashes near airport - VIDEO - UPDATED
# 22 May 2020 14:13 (UTC +04:00)

A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) passenger plane crashed in a residential area near Karachi's Jinnah International Airport on Friday less than a minute before landing, APA reports citing Geo TV Pakistan.

It is estimated that 97 people were aboard the plane, including 85 passengers and 12 members of the flight crew.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority, PIA flight PK-8303 from Lahore was about to land in Karachi when it crashed in the Jinnah Garden area near Model Colony in Malir.

CAA sources said that its communication was cut off with the plane a minute before it was supposed to land.

Troops from the Pakistan Army's Quick Reaction Force and Pakistan Rangers Sindh arrived at the crash site shortly after to assist the civil administration in relief and rescue efforts.

Several houses were damaged in the area where the plane crashed.

Ambulances were faced with difficulty as the streets were quite narrow and the huge presence of people made it difficult for relief operations to continue.

PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez said that the airline was receiving information in real-time. He said that Air Marshal Arshad Malik was reaching Karachi in two hours to assess the situation.

He said that 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.

Hafeez said that the PIA would hold a detailed press conference to share the details of the crash soon.

Rescue sources said that 15-20 persons have been recovered from the crash site. The body of a 5-year-old was also found from the site. "Due to the rush, we are encountering difficulties in carrying out relief operations," said SSP Malir. "People should avoid gathering at the accident site," he added.

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