AFAQ NEWS
At least 92 people were killed in plane crash in the southern port city of Karachi, officials said Saturday.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-8303, traveling from northeastern Lahore, crashed Friday into a residential area near Jinnah International Airport while landing with 99 passengers and crew onboard, the Civil Aviation Authority confirmed in a statement.
The crash occurred days after the resumption of domestic flights following a month-long lockdown imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Prime Minister Imran Khan ordered an inquiry into the second plane crash since 2016.
The health department in Sindh province, of which Karachi is the capital, confirmed 60 bodies were taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center and 32 bodies were taken to Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital. Twenty of the injured are in critical condition and were also taken to Ruth Pfau.
Authorities, who earlier were unclear if the dead and injured were passengers or residents on the ground, later said all of the deceased were passengers on the plane but several residents were injured in the crash.
Two people, including renowned banker Zafar Masood, are confirmed to have survived the crash. Their conditions were stated as stable by doctors.
Nineteen of the dead have been identified but most bodies are burned beyond recognition, said health officials.
Officials began to collect DNA samples to identify the deceased.
Among the passengers who were headed to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, included senior journalist Ansar Naqvi.
Rescuers believe only seven people are trapped under the rubble and no one from the area is missing.
