A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane crashed in a residential area near the Karachi Airport on Friday, an official has confirmed.

PIA spokesperson Abdul Sattar confirmed the crash and added that the flight, A-320, was carrying 107 passengers and was flying from Lahore to Karachi.

The PIA Airbus A-320 carrying 99 passengers and eight crew members has crashed landed into the Jinnah housing society located near the airport, a spokesperson of the national airline said.

"The captain informed the air traffic tower he was having problems with the landing gear before disappearing from the radar,” he said.

The PIA aircraft was flown by Captain Sajjad Gul.

A resident of the colony who witnessed the crash told the local media that the aircraft had fire coming from its wings which crashed into rooftops of some houses before it crash landed.

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

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

The Civil Aviation Authority sources said that its communication with the plane was cut off one minute before its landing.

Several houses have been damaged in the area where the aircraft crashed.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed shock and grief over the plane crash and said an immediate inquiry would be launched.

"Shocked & saddened by the PIA crash. Am in touch with PIA CEO Arshad Malik, who has left for Karachi & with the rescue & relief teams on ground as this is the priority right now. Immediate inquiry will be instituted. Prayers & condolences go to families of the deceased," Khan tweeted.

A statement by the Pakistan Army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that Army Quick Reaction Force and Sindh Pakistan Rangers reached the spot for carrying out rescue and relief operations alongside civil administration.

Minister of Health and Population Welfare has declared emergency in all major hospitals of Karachi after the incident, Dawn news quoted Meeran Yousuf, the media coordinator to the Sindh health minister, as saying.

Sindh's Minister of Health and Population Welfare has declared emergency in all major hospitals of Karachi due to the plane crash.

Pakistan had resumed commercial passenger air travel on May 16 after a nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19 outbreak.

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

On December 6, 2016, PIA flight PK-661 carrying 48 passengers and crew had crashed on the way to Islamabad from Chitral, killing all on board.

Source>>