Committee formed to probe PIA plane crash

KARACHI: In a step to unearth the causes behind the tragic accident of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-8303, the federal government on Wednesday formed a four-member investigation committee headed by Air Commodore Muhammad Usman Ghani, ARY News reported.

According to a notification issued by the Aviation Division, the committee will investigate into the plane crash near Jinnah International Airport, killing over 98 people on board.

“The investigation team shall exercise powers conferred by section 3 and 4 rules 273 to 275 of the Civil Aviation Rules 1994 and furnish it repot this division within the shortest possible time,” read the notification.

Earlier today, a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft with more than 90 passengers and eight crew members on board had crashed in a residential area near Jinnah International Airport.

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) officials had confirmed the national flag carrier’s flight PK-8303 that was flying from Lahore to Karachi had crashed in Model Colony. The plane had crashed moments before expected landing at the Karachi airport.

The aircraft had 99 passengers and eight crew members on board, the officials had said.

Eleven bodies had been shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) from the crash site, according to officials at the health facility. Several injured had also been brought to the hospital. Two bodies and three injured had been taken to Civil Hospital.