Pakistan International Airlines flight from Lahore, with 107 on board, crashed near the Karachi airport, just a minute before it was to land this afternoon. There are no reports on any survivors yet.
Reports in Pakistan media say the flight was an Airbus A320, which went down in a residential area.
The wreckage and several houses in the area are on fire, visuals by Pakistan media showed. Smoke could also be seen billowing in the sky.
“The plane crashed in Karachi. We are trying to confirm the number of passengers but initially, it is 99 passengers and eight crew members,” news agency AFP quoted.
The Pakistan media reported that Pak Army Quick Reaction Force and Pakistan Rangers are at the crash site to assist in relief and rescue efforts.
The crash comes just days after Pakistan began allowing commercial flights to resume. Karachi and Lahore are about 1020 km apart and it takes nearly seven and a half hours for a flight to cover the distance.
(AirlinerWatch/AFP)
