ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan International Airlines plane carrying 47 people crashed Wednesday on a domestic flight from Chitral to Islamabad, aviation authorities said.
All the passengers on board the passenger jet are feared dead. Military said 21 bodies were retrieved from the debris of the plane and being Shifted to Ayub Medical Complex, where a special cell has been set up. An aviation official said it was too early to say anything about the cause of the crash, but it probably occurred due to engine failure.
The Islamabad bound flight PK-661 took off at 3:30 pm from Chitral and went missing near Abbottabad before the pilots lost control over the aircraft and contact with control tower around 4:22 pm . A thick cloud of smoke was also seen billowing from the area where the aircraft came down.
Former famous Pakistani singer Junaid Jamshed and wife Nahya, were also among the passengers on the ill fated plane. According to family members, he was in Chitral on a preaching tour. 31 men, nine women and two children were on board the flight, including at least three foreigners, according to local media reports.
Civil and military rescue teams were dispatched to the area to find the whereabouts of the aircraft which was being flown by Captain Saleh Janjua and co-pilot Ahmed Janjua.
“We regret to inform that PIA’s ATR-42 aircraft operating as PK-661, carrying around 40 passengers lost its contact with control tower on its way from Chitral to Islamabad a short while ago,” PIA spokesman Danyal Gilani said.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan have directed the concerned federal departments to immediately initiate rescue efforts and help provincial government, said a statement.
Pakistan´s last major air disaster was in 2015 when a Pakistani military helicopter crashed in a remote northern valley, killing eight people including the Norwegian, Philippine and Indonesian envoys and the wives of Malaysian and Indonesian envoys.
The deadliest crash was in 2010, when an Airbus 321 operated by private airline Airblue and flying from Karachi crashed into hills outside Islamabad while about to land, killing all 152 on board.
Passenger list of crashed PIA flight PK-661
Abid Qaiser
Ahsan SS
Ahtiram ul Haq
Aisha
Akbar Ali
Akhtar Mehmood
Amir Shoukat
Amna Ahmed
Maahrukh Ahmed
Asim Waqas
Ateeq Muhammad
Farah Naz
Farhat Aziz
Gohar Ali
Gul Norani
Haji Nawaz
Han Qiang
Harald Kessler
Hassan Ali
Herwig Eichelbenger
Junaid Nahya
Khan Junaid Jamshed
Mehmood Atud
Mirza Gul
Farhan Ali
Muhammad Ali Khan
Muhammad Khalid Masood
Muhammad Khan
Muhammad Khawar
Muhammad Nouman Shafique
Muhammad Takbeer Khan
Nigar Uddin
Osama Ahmed Warraich
Rani Mehreen
Salman Zainulabidin
Sami SA
Samina Gul
Shamshad Begum
Taiba Aziz
Taimoor Arshid
Umara Khan
Zahida Perveen
Junaid Jamshed & DC Chitral died in plan crash
ISLAMABAD :Pakistan International Airline (PIA) plane heading to Islamabad from Chitral crashed after it lost communication with the control tower, reported .
Sources confirmed that Junaid Jamshed was also among passengers aboard the ill-fated flight.
Junaid Jamshed’s brother confirmed that the former musician and renowned religious personality was accompanied by his family as they were scheduled to reach Islamabad on this flight.
Meanwhile, Junaid s friend also confirmed that he was on aboard the PIA flight 661.
President, PM & Imran express sorrow over aircraft crash
Islamabad: President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, PTI Chairman Imran Khan and others have expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in aircraft crash incident near Havelian.
They prayed for the departed souls and expressed condolence with bereaved families and directed the concerned departments to accelerate rescue operation.
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has directed all authorities to immediately reach the site and start rescue and relief operations. He has also directed PIA authorities to establish information centres at Chitral and Islamabad airport for the families and all concerned.
PTI Chairman has expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the incident. He directed provincial government to immediately carryout rescue and relief work and try its best to safe the precious lives.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has directed NADRA and FIA to send teams to the site for the identification of passengers and providing assistance to administration. On the direction of Interior Minister, air wing helicopters will assist NDMA in rescue and relief operation.
All departments of Interior Ministry have been put on alert. Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi have also expressed grief and sorrow over lost of precious lives in air craft incident. A PIA airliner with 46 passengers and crew on-board was feared to have crashed near Havelian in Abbottabad district this evening.
Jhagra expresses heartfelt condolence over Plane crash & Kyber agency accident
PESHAWAR(PR):The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor, Eng. Iqbal Zafar Jhagra has expressed his heartfelt condolence over the loss of precious lives in Plane crash at havelain and a road accident at TD Bazar Shah Zaman Kelay in Khyber Agency.
In a condolence message on Wednesday, the Governor has directed the concerned authorities to provide Rs.one lac to the real heirs of each deceased.
While expressing his deep sympathies with members of the bereaved families, the Governor has prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls and courage to them to bear the irreparable loss with patience. He has also wished early recovery of the injured.
