A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) passenger plane on Friday crashed near the Jinnah International Airport before landing, according to media reports. Flight PK-303 from Lahore was about to land in Karachi when it crashed at the Jinnah Garden area near Model Colony in Malir, just a minute before its landing, the report said. A rescue operation is underway.
"The plane crashed in Karachi. We are trying to confirm the number of passengers but initially it is 99 passengers and eight crew members," said Abdul Sattar Khokhar, the spokesman for the country's aviation authority, adding that the flight was coming from Lahore. Mr Khokhar added that the aircraft was an Airbus A320 and was en route to Karachi.
The crash comes as Pakistanis across the country are preparing to celebrate the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr, with many travelling back to their homes in cities and villages.
