Islamabad: A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane crashed in a residential area near the Karachi Airport this afternoon, an official has confirmed. PIA spokesperson Abdul Sattar confirmed the crash and added that the flight, A-320, was carrying 107 passengers and was flying from Lahore to Karachi. There were no immediate reports on the number of casualties.

It was about to land in Karachi when it crashed at the Jinnah Garden area near Model Colony in Malir, just a minute before its landing, the report said. Footage showed plumes of smoke rising from the site of the crash. Ambulances and rescue officials arrived at the scene to help residents.

Witnesses said the Airbus A320 appeared to attempt to land two or three times before crashing in a residential area near Jinnah International Airport. The Civil Aviation Authority sources said that its communication with the plane was cut off one minute before its landing. Several houses have been damaged in the area where the aircraft crashed.

A statement by the Pakistan Army’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that Army Quick Reaction Force and Sindh Pakistan Rangers reached the spot for carrying out rescue and relief operations alongside civil administration.

Minister of Health and Population Welfare has declared 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.