KARACHI (REUTERS, AFP)A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft with 99 passengers and eight crew members on board crashed on Friday (May 22) in a residential area of the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, officials said.
“The plane PK 8303 with 99 passengers and 8 crew members has crashed,” said a spokesman for the national carrier.
The Pakistani army said its quick reaction force and paramilitary troops have reached the site for relief and rescue efforts alongside civil administration.
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.
Abdul Sattar Khokhar, spokesman for the country’s aviation authority, said: "We're trying to confirm the number of passengers however, initially it is 99 passengers and eight crew members,” adding that the flight was coming from Lahore.
It comes just days after the country began allowing commercial flights to resume after planes were grounded during a lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic.
Pakistan has a chequered military and civilian aviation safety record, with frequent plane and helicopter crashes over the years.
In 2016, a Pakistan International Airlines plane burst into flames after one of its two turboprop engines failed, killing more than 40 people.
The latest crash comes as Pakistanis across the country are preparing to celebrate the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr, with several travelling back to their homes in cities and villages.
Visuals from the crash site. #pakistan #pia #karachi pic.twitter.com/o0gVfH54kK
— Zoraiz Bangash (@ZoraizBangash) May 22, 2020
#BREAKING#pakistan flight from #Lahore to #Karachi has crashed in Jinnah Garden it was carrying around 100 people including crew members & reports are crashed into 3 to 4 house.#Pakistani#flight pic.twitter.com/fsSUEwtvJv
— Rahul kumawat (@Rahul_kmwt) May 22, 2020