107 die in Pakistan plane crash
Jet appeared to attempt to land ‘two or three times’ after losing an engine
KARACHI, Pakistan — A passenger plane belonging to state-run Pakistan International Airlines crashed near the southern port city of Karachi on Friday, killing all 107 passengers and crew, the city’s mayor said.
The aircraft plowed into a crowded neighborhood on the edge of the airport. Mayor Wasim Akhtar said at least five or six houses were destroyed in the crash. It wasn’t immediately known how many residents on the ground were among the casualties.
The disaster came as Pakistanis across the country are preparing to celebrate the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid al-Fitr, with many traveling back to their homes in cities and villages.
The aircraft arriving from the eastern city of Lahore was carrying 99 passengers and eight crew members, said Abdul Sattar Kokhar, spokesman for the country’s civil aviation authority.
The civil aviation authority said the pilot called in a mayday saying that he had lost an engine. He was attempting to land when the plane crashed.
Witnesses said the Airbus A320 appeared to attempt to land two or three times before crashing in a residential area near Jinnah International Airport. The residential area on the edge of the airport known as Model Colony is a poor area and heavily congested.
A resident of the area, Abdul Rahman, said he saw the aircraft circle at least three times, appearing to try to land before it crashed into several houses.
Rescue workers and local residents pulled people from the debris, as firefighters tried to put out the flames.
“I heard a big bang and woke up to people calling for the fire brigade,” said Karachi resident Mudassar Ali.
Police and military cordoned off the area.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted: “Shocked & saddened by the PIA crash . ... Immediate inquiry will be instituted. Prayers & condolences go to families of the deceased.”
Local television reports showed smoke coming from the direction of the airport and video emerging of the aircraft flying low over a residential area showed flames apparently shooting from one of the engines. Ambulances were sent to the airport and there were reports of some injuries among residents on the ground.
Airbus did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the crash. The flight typically takes an hour and a half from the northeastern city of Lahore, the capital of Pakistan’s most populous province, Punjab, to Karachi.
Airworthiness documents showed the plane last received a government check on Nov 1, 2019. PIA’s chief engineer signed a separate certificate on April 28 saying all maintenance had been conducted on the plane and that “the aircraft is fully airworthy and meets all the safety” standards.