Incredible moment bank president and two others are pulled ALIVE from wreckage of Airbus A320 that crashed into residential area of Karachi killing at least 104 after 'both engines failed' (27 Pics)
A bank manager and two other passengers have been pulled alive from the wreckage of an Airbus A320 which crashed after an engine failure in Pakistan today, killing more than 100 people.
Bank of Punjab president Zafar Masood was dragged from the smoking debris of the Pakistan International Airlines flight after it smashed into a residential area in Karachi today.
Pakistani media said three passengers in the front row of the aircraft had survived the crash, but at least 104 passengers and crew have been killed.
Witnesses said the flight from Lahore had made three failed attempts to land at Jinnah International Airport before ploughing into the Model Colony area of the city on a fourth landing attempt.
The pilot told air traffic control that he had lost both of his engines and a recording has emerged of the captain making a final mayday call before the crash.
Videos uploaded on social media purport to show the plane's final moments as it hurls downwards at alarming speed amid the shrieks of terrified residents. Witnesses say the plane was so low they felt the walls of their houses tremble and saw the plane tilted on one side.
Plumes of billowing smoke smothered the skyline after the Pakistan International Airlines plane smashed into house among the poor and densely populated area of Model Colony that is two miles from the airport.
Footage showed scenes of chaos with burning rubble and plane debris strewn across the area as hospitals ready themselves for a flurry of victims and the Pakistani Army desperately hunts for survivors. The Prime Minister has pledged to hold an 'immediate inquiry' into the crash.
The Airbus had been flying from Lahore to Jinnah, which usually takes 90 minutes, before it went down in the Model Colony area as it began its final approach to land at Karachi airport.
Bank of Punjab president Zafar Masood was dragged from the smoking debris of the Pakistan International Airlines flight after it smashed into houses in Karachi today
'The last we heard from the pilot was that he has some technical problem', a PIA spokesman revealed.
'He was told from the final approach that both the runways were ready where he can land, but the pilot decided that he wanted to do (a) go-round... It is a very tragic incident.'
A recording posted on monitoring website liveatc.net reveals the pilot told controllers the plane had lost power from both its engines on its second attempt to land.
As it called off an earlier attempt to land and tried for a second time, a controller radioed the pilot and told him 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.
Twelve seconds later the pilot cried 'Mayday, Mayday, Mayday' and was again cleared to use either runway.
Emergency responders spray the wreckage of the Airbus A320 after it crashed into houses in the densely populated Model Colony area of Karchi
A wrecked door from the plane is seen in the residential area of Karachi Model Colony where the Airbus A320 crashed
Photos of burning rubble were circulated online in the immediate aftermath of the crash as the Pakistani army is pictured above right rescuing a young child covered in ash
The battered remains of the plane's engine can be seen above mere moments after the crash
Fire brigade staff use jet hoses to put out the fire
Plumes of smoke billow after the Pakistan International Airlines plane smashed into the residential area
The plane had been flying from Lahor to Jinnah, which usually takes 90 minutes, before it went down in the Model Colony area as it began its final approach to land at Karachi airport
The Airbus A320 operated by state airline Pakistan International had 99 passengers and eight crew were on board
A burning car in the aftermath of the crash sits among rubble as plumes of smoke billow in the air
The crash comes just days after the country began allowing commercial flights to resume
A resident of the area, Abdul Rahman, said he saw the aircraft circle at least three times, appearing to try and land before it crashed into several houses and caused roofs to cave in.
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) sources said the captain had reported a technical fault before the plane vanished from the radar.
They told News One that communication with the plane was cut off one minute before it was scheduled to touch down.
Rescue workers and local residents pulled people from the debris as firefighters battled to put out the flames.
'I heard a big bang and woke up to people calling for the fire brigade,' said Karachi resident Mudassar Ali.
Teenager Hassan said: I was coming from the mosque when I saw the plane tilting on one side. The engines' sounds were quite weird. It was so low that the walls of my house were trembling.'
Locals inspect the destruction amid rubble caused after the plane collided with buildings
Video footage that has appeared online appears to show the low-flying plane low over houses moments before the fatal crash as smoke bursts into the air
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted: '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.'
The crash comes as Pakistanis across the country are preparing to celebrate the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid al-Fitr, with many travelling back to their homes in cities and villages.
Airbus did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the crash. The flight typically takes an hour and a half from the northeastern city of Lahore, the capital of Pakistan's most populous province, Punjab, to Karachi.
Airworthiness documents showed the plane last received a government check on Nov. 1, 2019. PIA's chief engineer signed a separate certificate April 28 saying all maintenance had been conducted on the plane and that 'the aicraft is fully airworthy and meets all the safety' standards.
The jet has been indentified by tracking website flightradar24.com as a 15-year-old Airbus A320,
A child survivor, with its cheek and head bandaged, looks on at the unfolding horror while a Pakistani Army soldier leads another away from the scene
A victim is taken away on a body board as medics scramble to find survivors
Hospital staff prepare to receive the victims of the passenger plane crash
Ambulances arrive at the scene ready to rush victims to hospital
Police have also been spotted blasting water on the charred remains of the aircraft
Emergency authorities have been scrambled to the scene in a desperate attempt to find survivors injured in the crash
A plume of smoke is seen in the aftermath of the crash
Arshad Malik, PIA boss, posted a message of condolence on Twitter
The Pakistan military tweeted that security forces had been deployed to the area and helicopters were being used to survey the damage and help ongoing rescue operations.
The crash comes just days after the country began allowing commercial flights to resume.
Pakistan has a chequered military and civilian aviation safety record, with frequent plane and helicopter crashes over the years.
In 2016, a Pakistan International Airlines plane burst into flames after one of its two turboprop engines failed while flying from the remote northern to Islamabad, killing more than 40 people.
PIA, one of the world's leading airlines until the 1970s, now suffers from a sinking reputation due to frequent cancellations, delays and financial troubles. It has been involved in numerous controversies over the years, including the jailing of a drunk pilot in Britain in 2013.
The crash comes as Pakistanis across the country are preparing to celebrate the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid al-Fitr, with many travelling back to their homes in cities and villages.
Incredible moment bank president and two others are pulled ALIVE from wreckage of Airbus A320 that crashed into residential area of Karachi killing at least 104 after 'both engines failed' (27 Pics)
![Incredible moment bank president and two others are pulled ALIVE from wreckage of Airbus A320 that crashed into residential area of Karachi killing at least 104 after 'both engines failed' (27 Pics)]()
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May 22, 2020
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