This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/pakistan-plane-pk116-crash-47-passengers-latest-updates-islamabad-chitral-live-updates-a7460616.html

The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Pakistan plane crash: Passenger flight carrying up to 47 people crashes near Abottabad Pakistan plane crash: 'Survivors unlikely' after flight carrying up to 47 people crashes near Abottabad
(35 minutes later)
A Pakistani plane carrying up to 47 passengers has crashed near Abottabad, authorities say.  There are unlikely to be any survivors from a Pakistani plane carrying up to 47 passengers that crashed near Abottabad, a government official has said.
Pakistan International Airlines' (PIA) passenger plane PK 116 was on its way to Islamabad from the northern city of Chitral.Pakistan International Airlines' (PIA) passenger plane PK 116 was on its way to Islamabad from the northern city of Chitral.
Initial reports said there were 37 passengers on the plane, however reports from Geo News and Dawn News channels both reported 47 people were on board the missing aircraft. The Pakistani pop star turned evangelical cleric Junaid Jamshed was on the plane when it crashed, local media reports.
Geo News, citing civil aviation sourecs, said the plane lost contact with civil aviation authority at around 4.30pm (11.30 GMT). "All of the bodies are burned beyond recognition. The debris is scattered," Taj Muhammad Khan, a government official based in the Havelian region, told Reuters.
Ground rescue teams have been sent to the crash site. Mr Khan, who was at the site of the crash, added that witnesses told him "the aircraft has crashed in a mountainous area, and before it hit the ground it was on fire".
Laiq Shah, a senior police official in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province told Reuters by telephone the plane had crashed in that region, near the town of Havelian.
He said ground rescue teams were en route to the crash site. The army said it dispatched troops and helicopters to the location.
There were no immediate details on casualties but Pakistan's interior ministry dispatched a team with experts on identifying bodies through DNA tests. 
The national flag carrier confirmed in a statement the plane had lost contact with air traffic controllers on Wednesday afternoon.
"PIA's ATR-42 aircraft operating as PK-661, carrying around 40 persons lost its contact with the control tower on its way from Chitral to Islamabad a short while ago," PIA spokesman Daniyal Gilani tweeted.
"All resources are being mobilised to locate the aircraft."
Initial reports said there were 37 passengers on the plane, but the civil aviation authority said there were 47 people on board.
Geo News and Dawn News TV stations, citing civil aviation sourecs, said the plane lost contact with civil aviation authority at around 4.30pm (11.30 GMT).
More followsMore follows