Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane with 100 onboard crashed

Karachi: A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane with more than 100 people onboard crashed in a residential area in Karachi near the city's Jinnah International Airport on Friday, a spokesman for the flag carrier said, but did not confirm any casualties. PIA flight PK8303 had 99 passengers and eight crew members on board during the time of the incident which took place in the city's densely populated Model Colony area, reports The Express Tribune. The crash caused significant damage in the residential area and reportedly destroyed four houses. "The plane PK 8303 with 99 passengers and eight crew members has crashed," said Abdullah Hafeez, a spokesman for the national carrier, adding that a rescue operation in the area was underway. PIA's Chief Executive Officer Air Marshal Arshad Malik said, following the crash, that the pilot had informed air traffic control (ATC) that there was a technical issue and the pilot decided to go around rather than land. He added that two runways had been cleared for landing. (IANS)