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| Jetliner With 99 Aboard Crashes Into Crowded Pakistani Neighborhood | Jetliner With 99 Aboard Crashes Into Crowded Pakistani Neighborhood |
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| ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A Pakistan International Airlines plane with at least 99 people aboard crashed on Friday in a residential neighborhood near the airpoert in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, and rescue officials reported dozens of casualties. | |
| The plane, Flight 8303, an Airbus A320, was en route from the eastern city of Lahore to Karachi and crashed at 2:37 p.m., officials said. | The plane, Flight 8303, an Airbus A320, was en route from the eastern city of Lahore to Karachi and crashed at 2:37 p.m., officials said. |
| There were at least 91 passengers and eight crew members on board, Pakistani officials said. Nasir Hussain Shah, a provincial minister, said at least two people had survived the crash but had injuries. | There were at least 91 passengers and eight crew members on board, Pakistani officials said. Nasir Hussain Shah, a provincial minister, said at least two people had survived the crash but had injuries. |
| Among the passengers were military officers, a former parliamentarian, an executive of a major television news channel and several prominent bankers from national and international banks, officials said. The president of Bank of Punjab, one of Pakistan’s largest lenders, survived with injuries, according to the airline, Pakistan International Airline, or P.I.A. | |
| Arshad Malik, the chief executive officer of P.I.A., said that the bodies of at least 41 passengers had been taken to the city’s two major government hospitals. | |
| Officials said civil and military officials had begun a rescue operation, but as night fell, the recovery efforts were slowed by the darkness. As the plane approached the airport, it turned around, circling, before attempting to land again, officials and eyewitnesses said. As the airplane approached the airport in a final attempt to land, it clipped the rooftops of several houses near the runway, before crashing into the street of the neighborhood, called Model Colony. Thick plumes of smoke billowed up from the crash site, the images broadcast to the nation on local television networks, which showed images of charred rooftops and several houses and vehicles on fire. | |
| Officials and the chief executive officer of P.I.A. said the scene of the crash would complicate recovery efforts as the neighborhood was crammed with houses with only a winding, narrow street leading into it. Several survivors and bodies were trapped under the rubble, and the rescue operation would take two to three days to complete, P.I.A.’s chief executive officer said in a news conference. | |
| Rizwan Khan, a political activist who is taking part in rescue operations, said that eight houses were completely damaged. “In the beginning, we tried to rescue the people, but because of severe heat, they could not do it,” he said. | Rizwan Khan, a political activist who is taking part in rescue operations, said that eight houses were completely damaged. “In the beginning, we tried to rescue the people, but because of severe heat, they could not do it,” he said. |
| Mr. Khan added that rescue teams from aviation and military reached on the site within the minutes because of its proximity of airport and military cantonment. | Mr. Khan added that rescue teams from aviation and military reached on the site within the minutes because of its proximity of airport and military cantonment. |
| The pilot told the control tower that he was having technical difficulties, according to Air Vice Marshal Arshad Malik, the chief executive of Pakistan International Airlines, the national carrier. He said the airline was trying to determine what those difficulties were.“The pilot was told that both runways were ready for him to land,” Mr. Malik told a Pakistani TV channel. “However, the pilot decided to do a go-around. Why did he do that, due to what technical reason, that we will find out.” | The pilot told the control tower that he was having technical difficulties, according to Air Vice Marshal Arshad Malik, the chief executive of Pakistan International Airlines, the national carrier. He said the airline was trying to determine what those difficulties were.“The pilot was told that both runways were ready for him to land,” Mr. Malik told a Pakistani TV channel. “However, the pilot decided to do a go-around. Why did he do that, due to what technical reason, that we will find out.” |
| An Airbus spokesman, Stefan Schaffrath, said the company was aware of the crash but had no details about the circumstances. Airbus expressed regret about the crash, and said in a statement that it was providing “full technical assistance” to the Pakistani authorities. | An Airbus spokesman, Stefan Schaffrath, said the company was aware of the crash but had no details about the circumstances. Airbus expressed regret about the crash, and said in a statement that it was providing “full technical assistance” to the Pakistani authorities. |
| The A320 typically has around 180 seats. Airbus said in its statement that the plane that crashed had been in service since 2004 but with Pakistan International Airlines only since 2014, logged about 47,100 flight hours and 25,860 flight cycles as of Friday. | The A320 typically has around 180 seats. Airbus said in its statement that the plane that crashed had been in service since 2004 but with Pakistan International Airlines only since 2014, logged about 47,100 flight hours and 25,860 flight cycles as of Friday. |
| Airworthiness documents showed the plane last received a government check on Nov. 1, 2019, The Associated Press reported. The airline’s chief engineer signed a separate certificate April 28 saying that all maintenance had been conducted. It said “the aircraft is fully airworthy and meets all the safety” standards. | |
| The crash happened days after Pakistan began allowing domestic flights to resume after a lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Model Colony is a busy, congested neighborhood nearly two miles from the Karachi airport. | The crash happened days after Pakistan began allowing domestic flights to resume after a lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Model Colony is a busy, congested neighborhood nearly two miles from the Karachi airport. |
| Indian television channels showed large crowds packed into the neighborhood near the crash site, with people rushing toward ambulances as black smoke clogged the sky. One man carried a boy in his arms as he ran past journalists and emergency workers. Police officers and paramilitary rangers tried to disperse the crowds from the accident site.The crash occurred as Muslims around the world were about to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, a holiday dedicated to the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting. News channels said many of the passengers had been traveling home to be with family for the holiday.Syed Shibli Faraz, the Pakistani information minister, said the crash was “a very tragic incident just before Eid.” Prime Minister Imran Khan said he was “shocked and saddened” and promised an “immediate inquiry” into the crash. | |
| Pakistan has a troubled recent history of air disasters. The deadliest was in 2010, when an Airbus flying from Karachi crashed into hills, killing all 152 on board. In 2016, a Pakistan International Airlines plane burst into flames after one of its two turboprop engines failed, killing 48 people, including a famous former pop singer.By late afternoon on Friday, emergency workers had poured into the neighborhood near the crash site. Many parked cars had been destroyed. | Pakistan has a troubled recent history of air disasters. The deadliest was in 2010, when an Airbus flying from Karachi crashed into hills, killing all 152 on board. In 2016, a Pakistan International Airlines plane burst into flames after one of its two turboprop engines failed, killing 48 people, including a famous former pop singer.By late afternoon on Friday, emergency workers had poured into the neighborhood near the crash site. Many parked cars had been destroyed. |
| Amjad Shah, who lives in the neighborhood, said he woke when he heard a sound “like a bomb exploding.” He said that security officers were trying to move people away from the crash site, but were “facing huge difficulties” because of the crowds and the narrow streets. | Amjad Shah, who lives in the neighborhood, said he woke when he heard a sound “like a bomb exploding.” He said that security officers were trying to move people away from the crash site, but were “facing huge difficulties” because of the crowds and the narrow streets. |
| Maria Abi-Habib contributed reporting from Los Angeles, Jeffrey Gettleman from New Delhi and Stanley Reed from London. |