Video: Pakistan’s PIA aircraft with at least 100 passengers onboard crashes in Karachi

A PIA aircraft with around 100 people on board crashed on Friday in a residential area of the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, officials said.

The Pakistani army said its quick reaction force and paramilitary troops have reached the site for relief and rescue efforts alongside civil administration.

Also see: PIA plane crash survivors moved to hospitals

Images shown on national television showed the Pakistan International Airlines flight had smashed into a residential area. Several houses have been damaged in the area where the aircraft crashed.

Also read: PM Imran Khan 'shocked' by PIA crash

Pakistan's civil aviation authority said the plane carried 91 passengers and a crew of seven. Earlier, the airport in the northeastern city of Lahore had said 107 were on board.

According to officials, at least three passengers had survived the crash, including a bank CEO and an engineer, who had been hospitalised for treatment.

'Mayday, Mayday'

After the aircraft reportedly called off an earlier attempt to land and went around for a second attempt, a controller radioed the pilot of flight 8303 that he appeared to be turning left, suggesting he was off-course.

The pilot replied, "We are returning back, sir, we have lost engines," and the controller cleared the plane to land on either of Karachi airport's two West-Southwest-facing runways.

Pilot: We are proceeding direct, we  have lost the engines.
ATC: Confirm you are carrying out a belly landing?
Pilot: (Unclear)
ATC: Runway available to land on 2 5
Pilot: Roger
Pilot: Sir, Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, Pakistan 8303
ATC: Pakistan 8303. Roger Sir. Both runways are available to land.

Also read: Pilot made 'Mayday' call before plane crash

"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.

Update #PIA Incident:
Pak Army Aviation helicopters flown for damage assessment and rescue efforts.
Urban Search & Rescue Teams are being sent on site for rescue efforts.

- DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) May 22, 2020

Officials of Pakistan Army Quick Reaction Force and Pakistan Rangers Sindh arrived at the crash site shortly to assist the civil administration in relief and rescue efforts.

It comes just days after the country began allowing commercial flights to resume.

It's PIA PK303 @airbus A320 which has gone down on a residential area of model colony short of Karachi airport. The wreckage and several homes are on fire. Prayers for everyone but this is painfully sad. pic.twitter.com/ZPWjz1BZTt

- Fakhr-e-Alam (@falamb3) May 22, 2020

A PIA A-320 crashes near Karachi airport in a residential colony. Number of casualties not confirm but believed to b around 100. ?? pic.twitter.com/ImKDR38rP6

- Danyal Gilani (@DanyalGilani) May 22, 2020

????? ??? PIA ?? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ??? ???? ????? ?? ???? ?? ?? ???? ???? ??? 95 ????? ???? ??? #planecrash#Karachi pic.twitter.com/NGj4DmxGS9

— Jaffar Khan kakar (@jaffar_bazai) May 22, 2020

Horrible Scenes, Ya ALLAH Khair#planecrash #Karachi #PIACrash #YaALLAH pic.twitter.com/u9EJzlsvW3

— Sports Ka Sultan (@smk_77) May 22, 2020