Islamabad: A Bhoja Air Boeing (BA) Co. 737-200 with 127 people on board crashed near Chaklala Air base, sources said on Friday.
The sources said that the Boeing 737 with 118 passengers and nine crew members on board, which flew from Karachi at 5:00 PM was supposed to land in Islamabad at 6:50 PM, but crashed just before touchdown.
Rescuers say the plane’s wreck was ablaze when they arrived at the site with mangled dead bodies, severed body parts, burnt luggage, and small parts of the fuselage strewn over all over the place in roughly one square kilometer area.
According to the the witnesses present in the area told The news Tribe correspondent that they saw that a lightening hit plane resulting in the blast of the plane adding that no one would be left alive.
The plane fell on top of houses in the village toppling many building before hitting the ground, said eyewitnesses.
Local residents have also volunteered in the rescue work.
Many dead bodies have been carried away to safety in a nearby building.
“Owing to nightfall as well as a heavy overcast, it’s pitch black out there, making rescue work extremely difficult”, rescuers said.
The Met department also confirmed the witnesses statement saying that it appeared as if the aircraft was struck by a lightning bolt as the electrical activity in the thunderclouds above was in full swing, which may have caused the crash.
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has set up an emergency information centre which can be contacted through landline: 021-99071265, 99271289.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani, President Asif Ali Zardari and Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar has directed authorities to launch a probe regarding the matter.
An investigation committee lead by Group Captain (rtd) Mujahid-ul-Islam would investigate regarding the matter.
Bhoja Air resumed its operation in March 30, 2012 after 10-year gap as
first flight took off from Karachi for Islamabad on schedule time.
In July 2010, an Airbus 321 passenger jet operated by the private
airline Airblue crashed into hills overlooking Islamabad while coming
in to land after a flight from Karachi, killing 152 people on board.
Afterwards, two more chartered aircrafts of private companies were
crashed in unpopulated area of Karachi.
The plane was 27 years and 4 months old.
Black box and flight record of the Boeing 737 recovered.
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has sealed record of air traffic control.
120 bodies shifted to PIMS in Islamabad.
Process of post-martum and identification of victims underway in PIMS.
20 victims identified in PIMS.
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