Pakistan International Airlines plane from Chitral to Islamabad crashes near Havelian, 48 people dead

Karachi: A Pakistan International Airlines plane from Chitral to Islamabad crashed near Havelian in Abbottabad district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday killing 48 people.

The passenger flight PK-661 had 42 passengers, five crew members and one ground engineer on board.

Singer-turned-Islamic-preacher Junaid Jamshed, his wife, deputy commissioner Chitral, Osama Warraich and three foreigners were among the list of passengers.

Jamshed is said to have gone to Chitral for religious preaching.

The Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that there were no survivors, as per PTI.

The flight had taken off from Chitral around 3:00 pm but reportedly lost communication with the control tower around 4:30 pm and subsequently crashed in Saddha Batolni village near Pakistan Ordinance Factory.

The flight initially left from Peshawar for Chitral.

Issuing a press release, PIA said:

PIA Press Release about today's sad incident. #PK661 pic.twitter.com/IAGiB2Ldee — PIA (@Official_PIA) December 7, 2016

On the other hand, Azhar Nawaz, chief information officer tweeted about the plane involved in the tragic incident:

Plane involved in today's sad incident.#PK661 pic.twitter.com/Pwql3NwF0t — Azhar Nawaz (@Azhar_Nawaz) December 7, 2016

Information About Flight #PK661 pic.twitter.com/QJxo4FLjBp — Azhar Nawaz (@Azhar_Nawaz) December 7, 2016

Emergency phone numbers for updates issued are as follows - 0092-21-99044890, 0092-21-99044376 and 0092-21-99044394.

Speaking to reporters at the Islamabad airport, secretary Aviation Irfan Ilahi said that ATR-42 turboprob plane suffered engine problems.

"It is premature to say anything at the moment, but we know that the aircraft had engine problems," he said.

Following is how some of the politicians and celebrities of Pakistan reacted on social media about the crash:

Very sad news of plane crash. May Allah have mercy on all associated. — Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) December 7, 2016

So sad. 47 precious lives lost in an unfortunate air crash. Pray, Allah, grants the families strength to bear this loss. #RIP #PK611 — BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) December 7, 2016

Shocked & saddened by the tragic PIA plane crash near HavelIan. May Allah give the families of the deceased courage to bear their loss. — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) December 7, 2016

Deeply saddened by the news of the #PIA plane crash in #Chitral Thoughts n prayers goes out to the families of the victims. — Sheikh Rashid Ahmad (@ShkhRasheed) December 7, 2016

PIA plane crash in Pakistan. My friend @JunaidJamshedPK was on the flight also, My heart goes out to all families who lost their loved 1's — Amir Khan (@amirkingkhan) December 7, 2016

In 2012, a Bhoja Airline plane, a Boeing 737 carrying 121 passengers and six crew members, crashed near Islamabad just before touchdown.

The worst aviation tragedy on Pakistani soil came in July 2010 when an Airbus 321 passenger jet operated by the private airline Airblue crashed into hills overlooking Islamabad. The flight was coming from Karachi. All 152 people on board were killed in the accident, which occurred amid heavy rain and poor visibility.

Another deadly civilian plane crash involving a Pakistani jet occured in 1992 when a PIA Airbus A300 crashed into a cloud-covered hillside on its approach to the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, killing 167 people.

(With Agency inputs)