A Pakistan International Airlines flight carrying 99 passengers and eight crew members crashed in Karachi, Pakistan, killing everyone aboard, according to the city’s mayor.
The passenger jet went down in a residential area, and images of fire and destruction at the scene were posted to social media.
Imran Khan, the prime minister of Pakistan, offered his prayers and condolences “to families of the deceased.”
“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,” he tweeted. “Immediate inquiry will be instituted.”
Abdullah Khan, a Pakistan International Airlines spokesman, told CNN that Flight PK8303 was traveling from Lahore to Karachi airport with an estimated arrival time of 2:30 p.m. local time. The flight was nearly about to land when it went missing from the radar.
Karachi is the largest city in Pakistan and the seventh-largest city proper in the world, with a population of more than 14 million.
Just terrible. With more than 100 people on board PIA aircraft crashed in the residential area of Model colony near Jinnah international airport Karachi. Emergency declared in all major hospitals of Karachi. pic.twitter.com/qbIdwbA2VN
— Naila Inayat नायला इनायत (@nailainayat) May 22, 2020
Casualties feared on ground where the PIA flight crashed inside a residential area in Karachi, Pakistan. Rescue efforts continue in the area as of now. pic.twitter.com/7ncRTdXMyH
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) May 22, 2020
PIA’s Lahore-Karachi flight PK-8303 crashed on a residential area near Karachi airport a short while ago. Fire fighters trying to control fire in an affected house?? ? ✈️ #planecrash #BREAKING pic.twitter.com/LEg1roPjol
— Danyal Gilani (@DanyalGilani) May 22, 2020
This story is breaking and will be updated.
