Shoaib Akhtar Offers Condolences After Pakistan Passenger Plane Crashes In Residential Area Near Karachi

Just a minute before its landing, Flight PK-303 crashed at the Jinnah Garden area near Model Colony in Malir.

Photo: AFP

New Delhi: Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar took to Twitter to offer prayers and express his deepest condolences after a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight from Lahore to Karachi, with at least 107 people on board, crashed in a residential area near Karachi airport on Friday. Just a minute before its landing, Flight PK-303 crashed at the Jinnah Garden area near Model Colony in Malir. The Pakistan Army Quick Reaction Force arrived at the crash site for relief and rescue operations alongside civil administration. "Just heard the devastating news of PIA plane crash.  May Allah bless every soul we lost in this. It was flying Lahore to Karachi & crashed just before landing. Inna lillahi wa inna elaihi rajaoon," Akhtar tweeted.

Just heard the devastating news of PIA plane crash. May Allah bless every soul we lost in this. It was flying Lahore to Karachi & crashed just before landing. Inna lillahi wa inna elaihi rajaoon.#PIAplanecrash

— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) May 22, 2020

Minister of Health and Population Welfare has declared an 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. A pilot identified as Fakhar Alam posted a video on Twitter showing plumes of smoke emanating from the place where the fatal crash took place.

PIA PK303 @airbus A320 has gone down on a congested urban area short of Karachi airport. 99 passengers and crew onboard. At this time all our thoughts with the families of the ones onboard & those affected on the ground. Tragic and sad. pic.twitter.com/dilhpIgBnh

— Fakhr-e-Alam (@falamb3) May 22, 2020