Horror as Airbus A320 with 107 people aboard crashes into residential area of Karachi after ‘three failed landing attempts’
- It is believed the plane tried to land up to three times before the crash happened
- The Pakistan military has deployed security forces to the area in a bid to help rescue operations
- Photos have emerged showing a wrecked plane door with rubble and debris strewn across the area
- Hospitals are readying themselves for a flurry of victims as ambulances are scrambled to the scene
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A Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A320 passenger plane carrying more than 100 people today crashed into a residential area of Karachi.
Photos show plumes of billowing smoke after the Pakistan International Airlines plane smashed into the area.
Witnesses said the Airbus A320 appeared to attempt to land two or three times before crashing in a residential area near Jinnah International Airport.
Pakistan’s aviation authority Abdul Sattar Khokhar said: ‘We are trying to confirm the number of passengers but initially it is 99 passengers and eight crew members.’
More photos have emerged from residents showing rubble and debris strewn across the area as hospitals ready themselves for a flurry of victims.
A wrecked door from the plane is seen in the residential area of Karachi Model Colony where the Airbus A320 crashed
Photos on national television show plumes of billowing smoke after the Pakistan International Airlines plane smashed into the residential area.
The Airbus A320 operated by state airline Pakistan International had 99 passengers and eight crew were on board. An aircraft of the same model is pictured
Images shown on national television showed the Pakistan International Airlines flight had smashed into a residential area
The crash comes just days after the country began allowing commercial flights to resume
The Airbus had been flying from Lahor to Jinnah, which usually takes 90 minutes, before it went down in the Model Colony area as it began its final approach to land at Karachi airport.
The captain’s devastating final conversation with air traffic control revealed the plane had ‘lost’ an engine before it was cleared to land on a runway as an emergency.
The pilot repeatedly said ‘mayday’ as he given permission to land on either runway just seconds before crash.
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) sources said the captain had reported a technical fault before the plane vanished from radar.
The told News One that communication with the plane was cut off one minute before it was scheduled to touch down.
Video footage has appeared online that appears to show the aftermath of the crash as panicking residents shout over each other amid plumes of billowing smoke and rubble.
Hospital staff prepare to receive the victims of the passenger plane crash
Ambulances arrive at the scene ready to rush victims to hospital
A plume of smoke is seen in the aftermath of the crash
The Pakistan military tweeted that security forces had been deployed to the area and helicopters were being used to survey the damage and help ongoing rescue operations.
The crash comes just days after the country began allowing commercial flights to resume.
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 while flying from the remote northern to Islamabad, killing more than 40 people.
PIA, one of the world’s leading airlines until the 1970s, now suffers from a sinking reputation due to frequent cancellations, delays and financial troubles. It has been involved in numerous controversies over the years, including the jailing of a drunk pilot in Britain in 2013.
The crash comes as Pakistanis across the country are preparing to celebrate the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid al-Fitr, with many travelling back to their homes in cities and villages.