A budget airline aircraft operated by Bhoja Air, en route from Karachi to Islamabad, carrying 118 passengers and 9 staff members, crashed 8 km away from Islamabad, Pakistan, airport near Karal Sahala. According to initial reports, all on board are believed to be dead.
Reporters of local media who reached the crash site, confirmed that pieces of aircraft are spread over an area of 2 or 3 km, and the situation indicates that no one has survived. Bhoja, considered a budget airline, came back after a suspension of 10 years, with this being its inaugural flight.
Geo-TV quotes Saifur Rehman, an official with the police rescue team, as saying the plane came down in Hussain Abad village, about 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 told Geo television.
Geo News quoted a local resident as saying the plane was already on fire in the the air and looked like a ball of fire coming at them.
A violent rain and wind storm was lashing parts of the capital around the same time as the crash, which occurred about 6:40 pm, local time.
For updates from the airline itself, visit www.bhojaair.com.pk/ .
WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS ARTICLE:
- Geo News quoted a local resident as saying the plane was already on fire in the the air and looked like a ball of fire coming at them.
- Reporters of local media who reached the crash site, confirmed that pieces of aircraft are spread over an area of 2 or 3 km, and the situation indicates that no one has survived.
- Geo-TV quotes Saifur Rehman, an official with the police rescue team, as saying the plane came down in Hussain Abad village, about two miles from the main Islamabad highway.
