At least 80 killed in Pakistan plane crash

At least 80 people have been confirmed dead in a plane crash in Pakistan's largest city Karachi, reports the Dawn quoting Sindh health officials.

Earlier on Friday, The Airbus jet with 99 people on board crashed while approaching the airport. Two passengers are known to have survived, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez said.

PIA spokesperson Abdul Sattar confirmed the crash and added that flight 8303 was carrying 90 passengers and 8 crew members from Lahore to Karachi

One of the survivor is Zafar Masood, president of the Bank of Punjab, a Sindh provincial government spokesman told Reuters. 

The bank said he had suffered fractures but was "conscious and responding well".

The other survivor, engineer Muhammad Zubair, told Geo News the pilot came down for one landing, briefly touched down, then took off again.

After around 10 more minutes of flying, the pilot announced to passengers he was going to make a second attempt, then crashed as he approached the runway, Zubair said from his bed in Civil Hospital Karachi.

Eyewitnesses said the Airbus A320 appeared to attempt to land two or three times before crashing in a Model Colony near Jinnah International Airport.

"The aeroplane first hit a mobile tower and crashed over houses," witness Shakeel Ahmed told Reuters who lives near the crash site, just a few kilometres short of the airport.

Footage showed plumes of smoke rising from the site of the crash.

Ambulances and rescue officials arrived at the scene to help residents.

A statement by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Army Quick Reaction Force and Sindh Pakistan Rangers reached the site for relief and rescue efforts alongside civil administration.

Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters flown for damage assessment and rescue efforts. Urban Search & Rescue Teams are being sent on site for rescue efforts. naveed sent this as well

Minister of Health & Population Welfare has declared emergency in all major hospitals of Karachi due to the plane crash, according to Meeran Yousuf, the media coordinator to the Sindh health minister.

Last year, a PIA aircraft escaped accident after it skidded off the runway while landing at Gilgit airport.

Passengers had remained safe in the accident, but the plane suffered considerable damage.

In 2016, PIA flight PK-661 carrying 48 passengers and crew had crashed on the way to Islamabad from Chitral on December 7. There were no survivors from the ill-fated flight.