Passenger Plane Crashes Near Pakistan Capital
Passenger Plane Crashes Near Pakistan Capital
28 July 2010A plane carrying 152 people on board crashed near the Pakistan capital of Islamabad in the early hours of this morning.
The Airblue Airbus flight 202 to Islamabad, via Karachi, crashed in the Margalla Hills to the north of the city upon landing.
The cause of the crash is unknown despite reports which suggest heavy rain and poor visibility may be responsible.
Pervez George, a spokesman for the country's civil aviation authority, said, "The plane was about to land at the Islamabad Airport when it lost contact with the control tower . . . later we learned that the plane had crashed."
Rescue efforts were hampered by overcast conditions and the inaccessibility of the crash site.
"We are removing wreckage with our hands. There is fire. There's smoke, which has made the rescue job very difficult," said Bin Yameen, a senior police official from Islamabad.
At least 90 bodies have so far been recovered from the wreckage amid fears that there are no survivors.
The office of Pakistan's prime minister has declared a day of national mourning over the tragedy.
Airblue is a private airline based in Karachi, serving both domestic and international flights, including flights to the UAE, Oman and the UK. The plane crash was the company's first air collision.
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