PIA plane crashes near residential area in Karachi, PK 8303 with 107 onboard had flown from Lahore

A Pakistani plane PK 8303 with 107 onboard crashed near a residential area of Karachi, officials said on Friday.

According to Reuters, while the national carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), which operated the plane said that there were 99 passengers and 8 crew members on board, according to civil aviation officials, the total for both may be 99.

“The last we heard from the pilot was that he has some technical problem,” PIA spokesman Abdullah H Khan said in a video statement. “It is a very tragic incident.”

A report in Dawn.com quoted PIA spokesperson Abdul Sattar as sayign that the Airbus jet A-320, which crashed on Friday, was flying from Lahore to Karachi.

Local TV station Geo showed crowds near the scene which appeared to be a densely populated area and ambulances trying to make their way through, Reuters said.

Dawn.com shared a series of videos on Instagram as well, which showed “plumes of smoke rising from the site of the crash”.