Pakistan Lahore-Karachi plane crashes, photos and videos show smoke, chaos near Karachi airport

A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Airbus A320 crashed in a residential area in Karachi on Friday afternoon. Preliminary reports suggest that there were as many as 99 people onboard the flight that took off from Lahore and was headed to Jinnah International Airport in Karachi.

Videos from the crash site in Karachi show a thick cloud of black smoke rising in the midst of a residential area as people rush to their roofs to take a look at the debris. It is still unclear what led to the crash.

Horrifying, tragic. An @Official_PIA Airbus A320 has crashed in a residential area in Karachi. There were 107 on board. Had taken off from Lahore, crashed during approach to Jinnah Int’l Airport, Karachi. pic.twitter.com/n7dR9lI99N

— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) May 22, 2020

A spokesperson for the PIA, Abdul Sattar has confirmed the crash. Another video shows hundreds of residents of the residential area where the aircraft crashed leaving their homes and flocking to the street. An official told media outlets that an Army Quick Reaction Force and the Pakistan Rangers Sindh troops have reached the crash site and relief and rescue efforts are underway.

Breaking: PIA flight PK 8303 with 99 passengers on board along with 8 crew members has crashed in Karachi. pic.twitter.com/q3aMowopGd

— AbbTakk (@AbbTakk) May 22, 2020

Major General Babar Iftikhar, spokesperson of the Pakistan Armed Forces took to Twitter to state that Army aviation helicopters have been dispatched over the area to assess the damage. In addition, urban search and rescue teams are also being sent out to the crash site.

Visuals from the crash site in Karachi (Photo Credits: Local Media)