Ninety-seven people were killed and two survived when a passenger plane crashed into homes in Karachi, southern Pakistan, health officials said on Saturday.
The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft had made several approaches to land at the city’s airport when it fell into a residential area, damaging buildings and triggering a rescue operation that lasted overnight.
All passengers and crew were counted and the bodies of those killed were found at the crash site, the Sindh health ministry said, adding that 19 had been identified.
A local hospital previously reported receiving the bodies of those killed on the ground.
The site remained cordoned off Saturday morning.
The crash sent plumes of smoke into the air as rescuers and residents searched for debris and firefighters tried to put out the flames.
An AFP journalist saw charred bodies loaded in ambulances.
PIA said the plane lost contact with air traffic control just after 2:30 p.m. (09:30 GMT) from Lahore to Karachi.
The disaster comes as Pakistanis prepare to celebrate the end of Ramadan and the start of Eid al-Fitr, and many are returning to their homes in cities and towns.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
