A Pakistan Army Aviation Corps Beechcraft B300 King Air 350i Aircraft crashed into a residential area near the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi killing all five crew members on board and at least 13 people on the ground.
The aircraft – belonging to Pakistan Army Aviation – was on a routine training flight when it crashed in a ‘built-up’ area near Mora Kalu, the military’s media wing, the ISPR, said
The fuel tank of the aircraft exploded soon after the impact in the Kantrali village of Mora Kalu, setting off a fire that damaged five houses and reduced two shanties to ashes, according to witnesses.
Official sources said the aircraft took off from Army Aviation Base Qasim at 2am on Tuesday. And according to witnesses the plane circled over the area at a dangerously low altitude shortly before it came down.
Rescuers said 18 people – eight men, four women and six children – are among the dead, while another eight people are injured.
The ISPR also confirmed the casualties. “Rescue teams of Pakistan Army and 1122 reached on site. [The] fire was extinguished and the injured were shifted to hospital,” it added in the statement.
The military identified the martyred crewmembers as Lt Col Saqib (pilot), Lt Col Waseem (pilot), Naib Subedar Afzal, Havaldar Ibne Ameen, and Havaldar Rehmat.
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The ISPR said that rescue teams of the Pakistan Army and Rescue 1122 cordoned off the crash site and started rescue operation. All injured were shifted from the Holy Family Hospital (HFH) to the Combined Military Hospital in Rawalpindi.
“We have taken 18 dead bodies to the hospital… that included 13 civilians and five crew members,” said local rescue spokesman Farooq Butt.
“All the bodies are badly burned, so DNA tests are required for identification,” he added.
Saddened to learn about the tragic incident of Pakistan Army #planecrash in #Rawalpindi.17 people including 5 crew members & 12 civilians lost their lives.
May the departed souls rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/K130ZcNZ1D— Anam Hameed (@anamhameed) July 30, 2019
President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed grief and sorrow over the lives lost in the aircraft crash. They condoled with the bereaved families and prayed for the early recovery of the injured.
