PIA plane crash toll rises to 76; three rescued alive

KARACHI: The death toll from the crash of a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft, PK-8303, with more than 90 passengers on board and eight crew members has risen to 76, whereas, three passengers have survived, ARY News reported on Friday.

The health department of Sindh has confirmed that the death toll in the plane crash incident rises to 66. The officials said that 44 dead bodies were shifted to Jinnah Hospital and 32 to Civil Hospital.

Five deceased persons have been identified, whereas, some wounded passengers were receiving treatment in different hospitals. The persons include Faryal Rasool d/o Ghulam Rasool aged 27, Muhammad Tahir s/o Abdul Majeed aged 37, Faria Basharat w/o Asadullah Khan aged 40, Syeda Siama Imran w/o Syed Imran and Caption Sajjad Gul, the pilot of the ill-fated plane.

The chief minister also issued directives to the deputy commission Korangi to provide all necessary facilities to the affected residents.

On the plane crash site, the officials of rescue teams and Pakistani armed forces have continued rescue activities. Engineers and medical staff members are also present at the locality to assist the rescue workers for removing the debris. The security officials are also taking help sniffer dogs for spotting the people held under the debris of the plane and the residential buildings.

Earlier, the rescue officials told ARY News that six injured persons are currently under treatment in Jinnah and two in Civil Hospital’s Burns Ward.

Read: PIA to conduct transparent inquiry into plane crash incident: CEO

Sindh health minister Dr Azra Pechuho said that three passengers were rescued alive and the rescue teams were trying to shift them to hospital as soon as possible. She said that 19 dead bodies were shifted to Jinnah Hospital and 15 to Civil Hospital, whereas, three dead bodies have been identified and handed over to their relatives.

Moreover, the provincial government’s spokesperson, Murtaza Wahab, confirmed in a Twitter message that two passengers onboard the ill-fated PIA plane miraculously survived the crash. He added that the persons were identified as Zafar Masood and Mohammad Zubair and ‘both are in stable condition.’

So far i can confirm that 2 passengers on board the PIA plane have miraculously survived the crash. Their names are Zafar Masood & Mohd Zubair. Both are in stable condition. Keep praying for others

— SenatorMurtaza Wahab (@murtazawahab1) May 22, 2020

The head of Edhi Foundation, Faisal Edhi, said that the rescue teams were facing severe difficulties to carry out activities due to narrow streets. He expressed hopes that the area would be cleared within two to three hours.

Read: PIA crash: Flight attendant scheduled to board ill-fated PK-8303 surfaces

Faisal Edhi said that the Edhi teams have shifted 42 to 43 dead bodies to hospitals while five persons were rescued in injured condition. He added that one among the survivors, the president of Bank of Punjab Zafar Masood, fell over a vehicle after the plane crashed into the residential area.

“Most of the wounded people are the residents of the neighbourhood as 15 to 20 houses were affected in the incident.”

Edhi officials told media that 50 dead bodies were shifted to Jinnah and Civil hospitals. According to Edhi Foundation’s spokesperson, two deceased persons have identified including Ms Fareeha Basharat and Faryal Rasool d/o Ghulam Rasool.

Fareeha Basharat was resident of Zamzama area in Karachi’s Clifton, whereas, Faryal Rasool was resident of North Karachi area. The dead bodies were shifted to Edhi cold centre, added the spokesperson.

A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft with more than 90 passengers and eight crew members on board crashed in a residential area near Jinnah International Airport earlier in the day.

Read: Specialized army rescue team reaches crash site to help civil authorities

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) officials confirmed the national flag carrier’s flight PK-8303 that was flying from Lahore to Karachi crashed in Model Colony. The plane crashed moments before expected landing at the Karachi airport. Several houses were damaged as the plane hit them while crashing.

Television footage showed thick plumes of smokes rising from the crash site. Ambulances and rescue officials arrived at the scene in no time as a heavy contingent of law enforcement agencies cordoned off the incident site.

An emergency has been declared in all major hospitals of the port city due to the incident.