On Friday, a Pakistan International Airline (PIA) flight crashed in the area near Jinnah International Airport. The Airbus Bus plane was flying from Lahore to Karachi according to Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority officials.
The Airbus A320 jet with 99 passengers and 8 crews members crashed into a residential area while it was attempting to land. There were reports of damaged buildings, however the number of casualties is yet to be ascertained.
Abdul Sattar Khokhar, the spokesman for Pakistan’s aviation authority said that “the plane crashed in Karachi. We are trying to confirm the number of passengers but initially it is 99 passengers and eight crew members.”
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Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan sent his condolences to the victims of the crash in a tweet, vowing an immediate investigation into the disaster.
Shocked & saddened by the PIA crash. Am in touch with PIA CEO Arshad Malik, who has left for Karachi & with the rescue & relief teams on ground as this is the priority right now. Immediate inquiry will be instituted. Prayers & condolences go to families of the deceased.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 22, 2020
The incident comes as Pakistan was slowly resuming domestic flights in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic which resulted in planes being grounded.
Pakistan has a chequered military and civilian aviation safety record, with frequent plane and helicopter crashes over the years
This is the second plane crash in the country involving the same airline within four years. In 2016, Pakistan International Airlines plane travelling from northern Pakistan to Islamabad burst into flames and killed 47 people.
Written by
Ifunanya Ikueze
