KARACHI: A passenger plane belonging to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) crashed near the Jinnah airport on Friday
The Airbus A320 aircraft crashed near a residential area of Jinnah Garden in Model Colony area near Malir Cantt. The aircraft was traveling from Lahore to Karachi and crashed minutes before landing.
PIA Flight No. PK-8303 left Lahore at 1305 hours with 98 onboard including 90 passengers and eight crew members. A message was received from Air Traffic Controller that the aircraft has crashed close to the landing at Karachi.
A PIA spokesman said the aircraft lost contact with ATC Karachi at 1437 hours and crashing after developing a technical fault. Captain Sajjad Gul and First Officer Usman Azam were flying the aircraft. The crew members were Fareed Ahmed Chaudhry, Abdul Qayyum Ashraf, Malik Irfan Ghallu, Madiha Iram, Amina Irfan, and Aasman Shahzadi.
Identification of bodies underway
PIA has installed a counter at the Lahore airport to guide the bereaved families. PIA Spokesperson Abdullah Khan said that the process of identification and handing over bodies to the families is underway.
He said that according to the PIA laws, the families will get Rs500,000 in compensation. He said that the airline’s district managers will visit the homes of crash victims and pay for the burial process. He said that 21 bodies have been identified so far.
PM Imran Khan issued special directives as per which one million rupees per deceased person will be given for burial.
Saturday – May 23 – 12:14 hours
Forensic teams from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency arrived in Karachi have arrives to collect DNA samples from the victims of the crash incident.
Head of the Punjab Forensic Science Agency Dr Tahir Ashraf said three teams comprising forensic scientists were in Karachi to collect DNA samples from the plane crash victims.
The teams will also collect samples from the bodies and the victim’s parents, siblings or children to identify them. The samples will be sent to Lahore and the result of the DNA tests will be available within 24 hours.
Saturday – May 23 – 1010 hours
The relief and rescue work at the site of the plane crash near Karachi airport is underway and 97 dead bodies have been recovered from the debris until now while the two survivors of the crash are under treatment in the hospital.
According to ISPR, the rescue operation is in progress by army search and rescue team, army troops, Rangers personnel and social welfare organisations. The miliary’s press wing confirmed that 97 bodies have been recovered and two passengers have survived the incident.
It added that 25 affected houses cleared and their residents have been accommodated at various places with the assistance of the civil administration.
Update #PIA Incident:
Rescue Op in progress by Army Search & Rescue Team, Army troops, Rangers & social welfare orgs. 97 bodies recovered. 2 passengers survived. 25 affected houses cleared, their residents accommodated at various places with assistance of Civil Administration.— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) May 23, 2020
According to a spokesperson of the Provincial Health Department, 66 bodies of the crash victims have been shifted to Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC) while 31 dead bodies are in Civil Hospital, while nineteen bodies have been identified so far.
Meanwhile, Corps Commander Karachi Lieutenant General Humayon Aziz also visited the site of the tragic incident and reviewed the ongoing rescue and relief operation. He said that on the directive of army chief, personnel of Pakistan Army and Rangers participated in the rescue operation.
21:30 pm, black box of the plane found
The security forces have found the black box of the plane.The sources said that the Safety Investigation Board has taken the black box into custody to ascertain the cause of the crash.
PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez said that Safety Investigation Board has launched investigations into the plane crash. He said that the cause of the crash could not be ascertained before the completion of the investigation.
21:00 pm, survivors
According to authorities, three people including the President of Punjab Bank are on the survivors’ list. Two others were identified as Zubair and a woman Tahira.
19:30 pm, 35 dead bodies have been retrieved from the crash site
According to initial reports, 35 dead bodies have been retrieved from the crash site while injured have been shifted to Jinnah and Civil hospitals for treatment.
19:35 pm, Chairman of Punjab Bank, survives in PIA plane crash
Bank of Punjab Chief Executive Officer Zafar Masud has miraculously survived with relatively injuries after the plane crashed.
It is still too early to say if there are more survivors from the tragedy, by Masud’s story has offered a glimmer of hope to rescue teams racing to save as many souls as they can.
He was shifted to the Darul Sehat Hospital after being recovered from the crash site and is reportedly out of danger.
Masud has sustained fractures to his hip and collar bones, the Darul Sehat Hospital’s administration said, adding that there were no burn marks on his body, only scratches.
According to ISPR, Army Quick Reaction Force and Pakistan Rangers Sindh troops reached the incident site for relief and rescue efforts alongside civil administration. It said army aviation helicopters have flown to the crash site for damage assessment and urban search and rescue teams are also being dispatched to the site for rescue efforts.
Update #PIA Incident:
Army Quick Reaction Force & Pakistan Rangers Sindh troops reached incident site for relief and rescue efforts alongside civil administration.
Details to follow.— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) May 22, 2020
A PIA aircraft with more than 100 passengers on board has crashed near Jinnah airport in Karachi.#planecrash #pia #karachi #mmnewstv pic.twitter.com/JtCWT6q3Df
— MM News (@mmnewsdottv) May 22, 2020
Condemnations
Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa condoled the loss of precious lives in the incident and said he shares grief of bereaved families in this difficult time. The army chief directed provision of full assistance to civil administration in rescue and relief efforts.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and broadcasting Asim Saleem Bajwa said that all emergency services and resources have been mobilised and evacuation is in progress on directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Sad News:Our heart goes out to all families of on board passengers of the ill fated PIA plane that just crashed close to Karachi Airport. On PM’s directions, all emergency services & resources mobilised,evacuation in progress.More details will be shared subsequently
— Asim Saleem Bajwa (@AsimSBajwa) May 22, 2020
Chief of the Air Staff Airf Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan expressed grief over the tragic air crash. He further said that Pakistan Air Force stands by PIA at this difficult time and extends all out support in the rescue operation.
Federal Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar also expressed deep grief and sadness over the incident and has ordered the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board to conduct an immediate inquiry into the crash.
Federal Information Minister Shibli Faraz called it an “extremely saddening accident”. He said: “We are with the affected families in their grief. The primary attention is on relief activities right now.”
Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab said Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has directed the Inspector-General Police (IGP) and Karachi commissioner to ensure all possible relief operations at the crash site.
پی آئی اے طیارہ حادثے پر گہرا دکھ اور افسوس ہے۔یہ انتہائی غم زدہ کر دینے والا حادثہ ہے،متاثرہ خاندانوں کے غم میں برابر کے شریک ہیں۔اس وقت بنیادی توجہ امدادی کاروائیوں پر مرکوز ہے۔
— Senator Shibli Faraz (@shiblifaraz) May 22, 2020
CM Sindh has directed IGP and Commissioner Karachi to ensure all possible relief operations at the crash site. May Allah help us all in such difficult times
— SenatorMurtaza Wahab (@murtazawahab1) May 22, 2020
16:30 pm, PM Khan directs immediate inquiry
Prime Minister Imran Khan has ordered an inquiry into the tragic plane crash incident. On a social media website Twitter, the prime minister said that an immediate inquiry in the crash incident will be instituted.
PM further said that he is shocked and saddened by the PIA crash. He maintained, “Am in touch with PIA CEO Arshad Malik, who has left for Karachi & with the rescue & relief teams on ground as this is the priority right now.”
Shocked & saddened by the PIA crash. Am in touch with PIA CEO Arshad Malik, who has left for Karachi & with the rescue & relief teams on ground as this is the priority right now. Immediate inquiry will be instituted. Prayers & condolences go to families of the deceased.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 22, 2020
20:00 pm – Following is the list of all passengers on the ill-fated flight:
1-Taha Elahi 2-Rahim Zain 3-Kashif 4-Shabbir Ahmad 5-Rizwan Ahmed 6-Bilal Ahmed 6-Yasmeen Akbani 7-Farwa Ali 8-Armghan Ali 9-Fauzia Arjumand 10- Mohammad S. Aslam 11-Mohammad Attaullah 12- Rai Attaullah
13-Fareeha Basharat 14-Mirza Muhammad Baig 15-Hafsa Chaudhry 16-Mehreen Danish 17-Begum Dilshad 18-Ahmed Dilshad 19-Simon
20-Farooqi 21-Ismail Farooqi 22-Inaya Farooqi 23-Shehryar Fazal Khaleda 24-Ahmad Mujtaba Khan 25-Rizwana Khatun 26-Baloch Khan 27-Nazia Meraj 28-Zafar Masood 29-Saad Mehmood 30-Tahira Mehmood 31-Mubashir Mohammad
32-Shoaib Mohammad 33-Osman Mohammad 34-Sadiq Mohammad 35-Ibrahim Mohammad 36-Zubair Mohammad 37-Saleem Mohammad 38-Zohaib Mohammad 39-Osama Mohammad 40-Alwina Mustafa
41-Senior Journalist, Ansar Naqvi 42-Karim Naveed 43-Feroz 44-Shahnaz Parveen 45-Qadir Masih 46-Farhan Qadi 47-Waheeda Rehman 48-Fazal Rehman 49-Asif Raja
50-Iqra Shahid 51-Syed Danish Shah 52-Alsa Shehryar 53-Ryan Shehryar 54-Khalid Sher Dal 55-Suraya Karim 56-Syeda Ayesha 57-Syed Mohammad
58-Syed Mohammad 59-Syed Aidan 60-Mohammad Tahir 61-Noshin Tahir 62-Mohammad Tariq 63-Mahan Tariq 64-Mohammad Waqas 65- Imam Waqas 66-Nada Waqas 67-Mohammad Yar Khan 68-Waqas 69-Younis 70-Hamza Yusuf 71-Karim Zahid
72-Karan Shahid 73-Iqra Shahid 74-Syed Danish Shah 75-Shehryar 76-Mehboob 77-Ryan Shehryar 78-Khalid Sherdal 79-Suraya 80-Karim 81-Ayesha 82-Syed Mohammad 83-Syed Mohammad 84-Fazal 85-Yaseen Jan 86- Gul Faraz 87-Arif Hussain 88-Feroz Khan 89-Jan Muhammad 90-Faisal Khan 91-model Zara Abid
Crew members
The crew members were Fareed Ahmed Chaudhry, Abdul Qayyum Ashraf, Malik Irfan Ghallu, Madiha Iram, Amina Irfan, and Aasma Shahzadi.
PIA to conduct transparent inquiry into plane crash incident: PIA chief
Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) Chief Arshad Malik has said that the crashed plane was technically sound and cleared for operation.
Addressing a press conference, Malik said an in-depth inspection and a transparent inquiry will be carried out into the incident in which the PIA officials and Civil Aviation Authority will not be a part.
The PIA chief said that all facts will come to light after the inquiry report and then the compensation package for the victims and their families will be announced. “A transparent inquiry will be conducted and true information will be given to heirs of the victims,” he mentioned.
Malik said those who lost their lives in the incident are martyrs. “I condole with the families of the victims and pray that Allah gives them courage to bear the tragic loss,” he said. He said that hotels at the airport have been allotted to facilitate those affected in the incident.
To a question by reporters, Malik said that as the probe into the incident is under way so we do not have much information over the matter. However, facts will come into light after the inquiry is completed.
Malik pointed out that all the pilots and crew members of PIA are qualified and possess technical knowledge. He said the plane crashed the second time when it tried to land.
He said “The pilot had attempted to land at the airport but landing gear was not opening. The plane was crashed when the pilot made another attempt to land the aircraft.
He stated that 19 victims were shifted to Jinnah Hospital while 22 others were transported to different medical facilities in the metropolis.
This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly.
