Inquiry initiated into deadly Karachi plane crash at a residential area

An inquiry has been launched into the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane crash at a residential area in Karachi that left 97 people dead, the country's aviation minister said. Apart from the investigation board formed by the government, a team from the aircraft's makers will also visit the crash site for investigation, and the plane's black box will be sent for decoding to further help the probe, Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan told a media briefing on Saturday. He added that the report will be made public within three months after which stern action will be taken against those found guilty, reports Xinhua news agency. He also announced a compensation of 1 million PKR ($6,227) each for the families of the 97 deceased passengers. (IANS)