A plane crashes in Pakistan over a residential area. Almost 100 people die. Among the survivors is the head of a Pakistani bank.
- About a residential area of the Pakistani city of Karachi one's plane crashed.
- There were 99 people on board the machine , two of whom survived.
- The flight operations in Pakistan had only resumed a few days ago.
Update from Saturday, May 23, 2020, 8.21 a.m .: According to official information, 97 aircraft passengers died in the plane crash in Pakistan on Friday (May 22, 2020) . The health authorities of the Sindh province announced on Saturday (23.05.2020) that two people had survived the accident on Friday in the metropolis of Karachi.
According to Malik, one of the survivors is the director of the Punjab bank, Zafar Masud. This is one of the most important banks in Pakistan. How many people died on the ground where the plane crashed into a residential area is still unclear.
Airplane crash in Pakistan: Technical problems when approaching Karachi
The fate of all passengers and crew members has been clarified, the authorities said on Saturday. The state-owned airline Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had been approaching Karachi on Friday when it crashed over a residential area. Almost 100 passengers were on board the Airbus A320.
Interior Minister Ijaz Ahmad Shah said the machine had technical problems. The pilot made an emergency call after an engine failure. "The last time we heard about the pilot, he said he had a technical problem," PIA airline managing director Arshad Malik said in a video statement on Friday on Twitter. "He was told that two runways were free, but decided to accelerate again."
Airplane crashes in Pakistan: Dozens of bodies recovered
Update from Friday, May 22, 2020, 7:22 pm: According to the airline PIA, 41 bodies have been recovered so far after the crash of a passenger plane in Pakistan , at least two passengers would have survived the accident. Three survivors had previously been mentioned.
The aviation group Airbus said: "Our thoughts are with everyone concerned." It was also said: "At the present time, Airbus has no confirmed information about the circumstances of the accident."
Pakistan: Passenger plane with almost 100 people crashes in a residential area
Update from Friday, May 22, 2020, 4:25 pm: The passenger plane that crashed in southern Pakistan with around 100 people on board probably had technical problems. The plane crashed into a residential area shortly before landing. Several bodies have now been recovered. At least three people survived the crash.
The plane crashed near the city of Karachi a few minutes before landing, said the country's aviation authority. Around a dozen bodies had already been recovered, but at least three passengers had survived the accident. The rescue operation in the residential area was initially difficult.
Airplane crash in Pakistan: engine may have failed
TV recordings showed a thick, black cloud of smoke . Ambulances drove to the crash site. The military and police cordoned off the area known as the "Model Colony" about two kilometers from the runway.
Shortly before the crash, the pilot reported technical problems with the machine to the tower, said PIA chief Arshad Malik. Radio messages indicated a failure of one of the machine's engines. Eyewitnesses told local television stations that they saw the plane circling the airport before it crashed in the residential area.
First message from Friday, May 22, 2020, 12.35 p.m .: Islamabad - A plane with around 100 passengers on board crashed in southern Pakistan . The passenger plane crashed near the city of Karachi a few minutes before landing in a residential area, the country's aviation authority said on Friday.
Airplane crash in Pakistan: military and police cordon off area
Homes were damaged by the crash , a spokesman for the aviation authority said. The military and police cordoned off the area. TV recordings showed a thick cloud of smoke and ambulances hurrying to the crash site. Injured people were pulled out of the rubble of collapsed buildings.
The Airbus International Airline operated Airbus was on its way from the eastern city of Lahore to Karachi , said airline spokesman Mohamed Abdullah. 99 passengers and 8 crew members were on board.
Pakistani forces and fire brigade reach the residential area near Karachi airport where the PIA flight crashed this afternoon. Rescue efforts underway. pic.twitter.com/VYZi8eMqEW
- Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) May 22, 2020Flight operations in Pakistan only resumed a few days ago
The crash occurred just a few days after the Pakistani authorities decided to resume domestic air traffic. Due to the corona pandemic , international flights to the South Asian country will be suspended until the end of the month.
(red / dpa)
