New Delhi (NVI): A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane, with 90 passengers and 8 crew members on board, crashed near Karachi airport today just before landing.
Several people are feared dead in the crash. The A320 airbus, PK 8303, crashed in Karachi’s Model Colony near Jinnah International Airport, reports The Dawn. The rescue operation is underway and the injured are being taken to hospitals.
PIA’s Lahore-Karachi flight #PK8303 crashed on a residential area near Karachi airport a short while ago. Firefighters trying to control fire in an affected house?? Fire Airplane #planecrash #PIACrash #Karachi #KarachiAirport pic.twitter.com/atxteNAPos
— Zai (@Zai3991) May 22, 2020
PIA Chief Executive Officer Air Marshal Arshad Malik told the Pakistan daily that the pilot told the control room that there was a technical issue. He decided to go around rather than land even though two runways were ready for landing, Malik was quoted as saying by the paper.
According to local media reports, the plane fell in a populated area. A video footage showed plumes of smoke rising from the site of the crash and some residential houses damaged.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Minister of Health & Population Welfare has declared emergency in all major hospitals of Karachi due to the plane crash, according to Meeran Yousuf, the media coordinator to the Sindh health minister.
