Pakistan Plane Crash
In what is being reported as the worst civil aviation accident in Pakistan’s history, a passenger jet crashed just outside Islamabad, on Wednesday, killing all 152 people on board.
The crash occurred in the Margalla hills, in poor weather conditions, just before 9 a.m. Rescue workers reportedly struggled through fire and mud in their search for survivors.
According to the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, two American citizens are reported to be among the victims of the crash that left no survivors. The plane’s wreckage is reported to be spread across a large area.
The rescue effort, according to various reports, is being helped by the Pakistani army. Visual evidence of that assistance was apparent from the military helicopters that were reportedly flying above the wreckage.
It is reported that the plane was flying low over houses in Islamabad. Other reports claim that the plane was circling the airport, waiting for permission to land.
The plane, an Airbus A321, reportedly was in service for Airblue airlines. According to civil aviation official Pervez George, the plane departed from Karachi at 7:45 a.m. for the two-hour flight to Islamabad. The plane, scheduled to land at 9:30 a.m , reportedly lost contact with the control room at 8.43am.