Bhoja plane crashes near Islamabad; 127 killed

A passenger jet with 127 people on board crashed Friday as it was landing at an airport near Islamabad, officials said.

Defense Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar told media the Bhoja Air jet crashed Friday, just a few kilometers (miles) away from the airport in Islamabad.

He says the aircraft was traveling from the country’s largest city of Karachi to the Pakistani capital when it crashed.

According to sources in Civil Aviation Authority, the flight was given clearance to land but it lost contact with the control tower minutes before the crash reports. Rescue teams including Pakistan army personnel have rushed to the crash site.

Saifur Rehman, an official from the police rescue team said the plane came down in Hussain Abad village, about three kilometers (two miles) from the main Islamabad highway.

“Fire erupted after the crash. The wreckage is on fire, the plane is completely destroyed. We have come with teams of firefighters and searchlights and more rescuers are coming,” Rehman said.

Rescuers say the plane’s wrecked fuselage was ablaze when they arrived at the site with dead bodies and body parts strewn all over the place. Reportedly Bhoja Airlines had bought this very aircraft from Shaheen Airlines after it was scrapped by the latter for its compromised flight-worthiness.

Ministry of Defence and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have confirmed the reports of crash. Inclement weather has been held responsible for the crash.  Bhoja Airline officials are yet unavailable for comments.

All hospitals in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi have been put on high alert after the crash.

In July 2010, an Airbus 321 passenger jet operated by the private airline Airblue crashed into hills overlooking Islamabad while coming in to land after a flight from Karachi, killing 152 people on board.

According to the eyewitness, massive fire broke out soon after the crash and rapidly engulfed around 107 houses in the area.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=19748

Posted by Faisal Farooq on Apr 20 2012. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.