A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) carrier PK8303 flying from Lahore crashed near Model Colony in Karachi with 99 passengers with eight crew members on board on Friday.
PIA spokesperson Abdul Sattar confirmed the crash but no information has been made available of the survivors as yet. “Saying anything right now would be premature. Our crew is trained to handle emergency landings. All my prayers are with the families. We will continue to provide information in a transparent manner,” he said.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a statement, said that Army Quick Reaction Force and Sindh Pakistan Rangers 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.
Minister of Health & Population Welfare has declared emergency in all major hospitals of Karachi due to the plane crash, according to Meeran Yousuf, the media coordinator to the Sindh health minister.
Last year, a PIA aircraft escaped accident after it skidded off the runway while landing at Gilgit airport.
Passengers had remained safe in the accident, but the plane suffered considerable damage.
In 2016, PIA flight PK-661 carrying 48 passengers and crew had crashed on the way to Islamabad from Chitral on December 7. There were no survivors from the ill-fated flight.
This is a developing story
