A passenger plane carrying 91 passengers and 8 crew members crashed in a residential area in Karachi, on the way to the Jinnah International Airport, killing 11 and injuring several people.
Thick smoke was seen rising from the accident site in Model Colony, 3.2 km north-east of the airport, post which the rescue team was seen navigating through the debris. It was reported that the plane had lost contact with Air Traffic Control (ATC) post 9:30 GMT. The Chief of the ATC was reported saying that the plane had been experiencing ‘technical issues’. The reason for the crash is yet to be confirmed.
The Chief Minister of Sindh, has declared an emergency in all of Karachi’s hospitals, while the country’s Prime Minister Imran Khan conveyed that he was “shocked and saddened” by the crash, promising an immediate investigation.
The crash has occurred days after the lockdown was released, enabling people all around the country to go back home.
Indian Prime Minister Modi expressed grief and conveyed his condolences to the families of passengers.
Pakistan’s air safety record is already dotted with multiple crashes, with the recent ones in 2010 that killed 152 on board, the 2012 Boeing 737-200 crash that killed all the passengers and crew as well as the most recent one in 2016 that killed 47.