No hope of survivors in plane crash
A Pakistani mother who lost her son in a last year's plane crash, touches his name at a monument built near the site of crash, in Islamabad, Pakistan on Thursday, July 28, 2011. Family members and friends gathered to pray for the victims of a plane crash which killed 150 people on board.
ISLAMABAD: The aviation authorities and rescuers said there is no hope of survivors of Bhoja airlines passenger plane that crashed near the capital Islamabad with 127 people on board Friday evening.
The officials believe the Boeing-737 of private Bhoja airlines aircraft crashed after running into lightning and heavy rain over Islamabad.
The Defence Ministry ordered inquiry into the crash and formed a committee to submit a report. Officials said the plane
was nearly 27-year old.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik said there are strong indications that lightening may have hit the plane. Witnesses said the plane crashed on residential area, causing fire in the plane and several houses. There had been no confirmation of any casualty on ground.
A former head of the Civil Aviation Authority, Junaid Ameen, told the media that bad weather is usually not the cause of plane crashes because planes have equipments which help in dealing with the situation. “Planes are designed to fly in bad weather.”
An eye witness told reporters at the site that
he saw fire at the tail of the plane before it crashed.
The plane B-4213 was coming from the port city of Karachi to Islamabad when came down nearly 10 kilometers away from the Islamabad’s Benazir International Airport at 6;45 p.m., local time. According to sources in Civil Aviation Authority, the flight was given clearance to land at Islamabad airport but it lost contact with the control tower minutes before the crash.
Rescue teams including Pakistan army personnel rushed to the crash site.
Rescuers said the plane’s wreckage, bodies and their luggae were spread over one kilometer area.
A large number of relatives rushed to the Karachi and Islamabad airports to get information of the crash. A special plane will be arranged for relatives to fly to Islamabad to identify bodies, officials said.
Touching scenes were seen at the Karachi and Islamabad airports as the relatives of the passengers and crew members were anxiously waiting for information.
Group Captain Mujahidul Islam, head of Safety Investigation Board Civil Aviation Authority, will lead an inquiry into the incident.
Two operation rooms have been set up at Benazir Bhutto Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Rawalpindi and Jinnah International Airport in Karachi.
A senior aviation official, Mansoor Bukhari, said there was no foreigner in the aircraft and
all passengers and crew members were Pakistani nationals.
Rescue and search operation for the bodies faced difficulties due to bad weather, darkness and traffic jam on the main road to the crash site. (same saying to Sachine Avalanche difficulty due to weather)
A rescue official of the Capital Development Authority’s disaster management department, Asif Majeed, told Xinhua on phone that ambulances and fire tender could not reach in time as they had been stuck in the traffic jam.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani expressed sense of shock over the crash.
Authorities temporarily closed the Islamabad International Airport for all incoming and outgoing flights after the plane crash, Civil Aviation sources said. The flight operation from the airport was suspended in the aftermath of the crash.
Bhoja Air Lines has recently launched operation after years of suspension service due to financial cruch. Officials said it was maiden flight from Karachi to Islamabad.
It is the second passenger plane crash near Islamabad in less than two years.
A total of 152 passengers and crew members were killed when a plane of private Air Blue company crashed in the Margalla Hills in Islamabad in July 2010.
Let's arrest Bhoja Air officials terrorists, Is ISI going to catch terrorists??
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Timeline: Air crashes in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani passenger plane with up to 127 people on board crashed while trying to land in bad weather near the capital Islamabad on Friday, officials said.
Following is a chronology of major air crashes in Pakistan or involving Pakistani planes:
May 20, 1965:
A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Boeing 707 crashes on its inaugural flight while attempting to land at Cairo airport, killing 124 people.
August 6, 1970:
A PIA Fokker F27 turboprop aircraft crashes while attempting to take off from Islamabad in a thunderstorm, killing all 30 people on board.
December 8, 1972:
A PIA Fokker F27 crashes in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad.
All 26 people on board are killed.
November 26, 1979:
A PIA Boeing 707 bringing home Pakistani Hajj pilgrims from Saudi Arabia crashes shortly after take-off from Jeddah airport, killing 156 people.
October 23, 1986:
A PIA Fokker F27 crashes while coming in to land in the northwestern city of Peshawar, killing 13 of the 54 people on board.
August 17, 1988:
A US-made Hercules C-130 military aircraft crashes near Pakistan’s eastern city of Bahawalpur, killing military ruler General Mohammad Zia ul Haq and 30 others including Pakistani generals and the US ambassador.
August 25, 1989:
A PIA Fokker carrying 54 people disappears after leaving Gilgit in northern Pakistan. The wreckage is never found.
September 28, 1992:
A PIA Airbus A300 crashes into a cloud-covered hillside on approach to the Nepalese capital Kathmandu after the plane descended too early, killing 167 people.
February 19, 2003:
An air force Fokker F27 crashes in fog-shrouded mountains near the northwestern city of Kohat, killing air force chief Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali, his wife and 15 others.
February 24, 2003:
A chartered Cessna 402-B carrying Afghan Mines and Industries Minister Juma Mohammad Mohammadi, four Afghan officials, a Chinese mining executive and two Pakistani crew crashes into the Arabian Sea near the southern city of Karachi.
July 10, 2006:
A PIA Fokker F27 bound for Lahore crashes into a field and bursts into flames shortly after takeoff from the central city of Multan, killing 41 passengers and four crew.
July 28, 2010:
An Airblue Airbus 321 operated by the private airline Airblue flying from Karachi crashes into hills outside Islamabad while preparing to land, killing all 152 people on board.
November 5, 2010:
A twin-engine plane operated by Pakistani charter JS Air carrying staff from an Italian oil company crashes shortly after take-off in Karachi, killing all 21 people on board.
November 28, 2010:
At least 12 people are killed when a Russian-made Ilyushin IL-76 cargo plane operated by Georgian airline Sunway crashes in a fireball seconds after taking off from Karachi.
April 20, 2012:
A Bhoja Air Airbus 737 from Karachi comes down in bad weather near Islamabad. Officials say up to 130 people are on board and police say there is ‘no chance’ of survivors.
I don't think, we will rely on Pakistan airlines, we have to avoid them as possible, they have a very poor record history. Don't ride with them. Never trust them.