Meeran Yousuf, the media coordinator for the Sindh health minister, confirmed to Dawn.com that three passengers had survived and were brought to hospitals. She identified the survivors as Zubair, Tahira and Zafar Masood, who is the president of Bank of Punjab.
Pakistani newspaper Dawn quoted Saad Edhi, spokesperson of the Edhi Foundation which runs a charitable ambulance network, as saying that they have shifted at least 35 bodies from the site of the crash to different hospitals. However, an official list of passangers and survivors is still awaited.
Governor of Sindh province Imran Ismail has said that PIA has been asked to provide shelter to those people whose houses have been destroyed. He further claimed that the airlines will take full responsibility and provide those people with a hotel accomodation without any further delay.
Called chairman PIA, to provide shelters to people who’s houses r damaged due to the crash. PIA will take full responsibility and provide hotel immediately to them. PM @ImranKhanPTI has instructed PIA to take care of affectees with out any delay.
— Imran Ismail (@ImranIsmailPTI) May 22, 2020
Officials said there were at least two survivors from the plane, and it was unknown how many people on the ground were hurt, with at least five houses destroyed. Police wearing protective masks struggled to clear away crowds in the narrow streets of the crash site in the poor and congested residential area known as Model Colony so ambulances could move through. Police and soldiers cordoned off the area amid the smoke and dust.
Ownership records for the Airbus A320 showed that the ill-fated aircraft was flown by China Eastern Airlines between 2004 and 2014. The plane then entered PIA’s fleet, leased from GE Capital Aviation Services. Perry Bradley, a spokesman for GE, said the firm was “aware of reports of the accident and is closely monitoring the situation.”
So far i can confirm that 2 passengers on board the PIA plane have miraculously survived the crash. Their names are Zafar Masood & Mohd Zubair. Both are in stable condition. Keep praying for others
— SenatorMurtaza Wahab (@murtazawahab1) May 22, 2020
Airworthiness documents showed the plane last received a government check on Nov. 1, 2019. PIA’s chief engineer signed a separate certificate April 28 saying all maintenance had been conducted. It said “the aircraft is fully airworthy and meets all the safety” standards, news agency AP reported.
A resident of the colony, who witnessed the crash, told Ary News channel that the aircraft had fire coming from its wings which crashed into rooftops of some houses before it crash-landed.
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 poor 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.
Video circulated on social media appeared to show the aircraft flying low over a residential area with flames shooting from one of its engines.
Pia Plane airbus 320 crash near karachi airport,hits 4 to 5 houses,91 passenger onboard.#planecrash pic.twitter.com/NtetVn0BzM
— Khurram Ansari (@khurram143) May 22, 2020
Pakistan Armed force spokesperson Major General Babar Iftikhar said that the army’s Quick Reaction Force and Pakistan Rangers’ Sindh troops have reached the incident site. In the update posted on the official Twitter handel of DG ISPR, the spokesperson said that the security forces will assist civil administration in relief and rescue efforts.
Pakistan Plane Crash Latest Updates: Airworthiness documents showed the plane last received a government check on Nov. 1, 2019. PIA’s chief engineer signed a separate certificate April 28 saying all maintenance had been conducted. It said “the aircraft is fully airworthy and meets all the safety” standards, news agency AP reported.
A Pakistani plane PK 8303 with 107 onboard crashed near a residential area of Karachi, officials said on Friday.
According to Reuters, while the national carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), which operated the plane said that there were 99 passengers and 8 crew members on board, according to civil aviation officials, the total for both may be 99.
“The last we heard from the pilot was that he has some technical problem,” PIA spokesman Abdullah H Khan said in a video statement. “It is a very tragic incident."
A report in Dawn.com quoted PIA spokesperson Abdul Sattar as sayign that the Airbus jet A-320, which crashed on Friday, was flying from Lahore to Karachi.
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, Reuters said.
Dawn.com shared a series of videos on Instagram as well, which showed "plumes of smoke rising from the site of the crash".
The Pakistani army said its quick reaction force and paramilitary troops have reached the site for relief and rescue efforts alongside civil administration.
"Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters flown for damage assessment and rescue efforts. Urban search and rescue teams are being sent on site for rescue efforts," Major General Babar Iftikhar, spokesperson of Pakistan Armed Forces tweeted via its official Twitter handle @OfficialDGISPR.
With inputs from Reuters
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