155 killed in Pak plane crash
PTI | 06:07 PM,Jul 28,2010Rezaul H Laskar Islamabad, Jul 28 (PTI) In Pakistan's worst air disaster in recent times, a passenger jet today crashed into the Margalla Hills overlooking Islamabad in heavy rain amid poor visibility, killing all 155 people on board, including women and children. The Airbus A321 operated by private airline Airblue -- which had 147 passengers and eight crew aboard -- hit the Margalla Hills near Daman-e-Koh viewpoint at about 10 am local time and turned into a ball of fire as it exploded into pieces. The plane was about to land at the Islamabad airport when it lost radio contact with the control tower and later crashed into the thickly-forested hills overlooking the capital city, officials said. The wreckage fell into a deep ravine between two hills. Several hours after the crash, rescue workers and military personnel pulled out the bodies from the smoldering and burning wreckage that lay scattered over a thickly forested area in inaccessible hills shrouded by clouds and fog. Officials said they believed the crash was caused by bad weather. However, the exact cause would be ascertained by an inquiry to be conducted by the Civil Aviation Authority, they said. Rescue workers said they had shouted out for possible survivors but received no response. Special search and rescue teams of the army, navy, air force and paramilitary Pakistan Rangers reached the crash site along with members of a state-run rescue service and local residents shortly after the accident but officials said operations were being impeded by the difficult terrain and heavy rains. Interior Minister Rehman Malik said all those on board the plane were killed. There were 147 passengers and eight crew members on the aircraft, he said. A total of 159 passengers were booked on the flight from Karachi to Islamabad but a dozen of them did not show up, he said. Malik had earlier said that five people had survived. Other officials said five children and 29 women were among the passengers. Islamabad has been hit by heavy rains for the past three days and the city was covered by fog and low-lying clouds.(More) PTI RHL KIM AKD AKJ
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