Rawalpindi: Pakistani military plane crashes in residential area, 18 killed
What's the story
In a horrible incident, a military plane of Pakistan crashed into a residential area in Rawalpindi, killing 18 people. The cause of the crash, which took place during wee hours of Tuesday, is yet to be determined. All the crew members aboard the ill-fated flight died. Reportedly, 12 others have been injured and rescue operations are underway. Here's what we know so far.
What happened
Plane was on routine training flight when it crashed
The plane, carrying five crew members, was on a routine training flight when it crashed near the Rabi Center in Rawalpindi, said reports. The deceased crew members were identified as Lt Col Saqib, Lt Col Wasim, Naib Subedar Afzal, Hawaldar Amin, Hawaldar Rahmat. Notably, Rawalpindi is close to Pakistan's capital Islamabad.
Fire
Crash sparked a massive fire, several houses gutted
The crash set off a massive fire in the area. Visuals from the spot showed that several houses were engulfed in the blaze. The injured were taken to Holy Family and DHQ hospitals in Rawalpindi. Meanwhile, an emergency was declared at other hospitals of the city. Separately, Corps Commander Rawalpindi Lieutenant General Bilal Akbar visited the site where he was briefed about the accident.
Twitter Post
A horrifying video of crash surfaced on social media
Horrifying, tragic. A Pakistan Military aircraft has crashed into a residential part of Rawalpindi, killing the crew and several civilians on ground. RIP. https://t.co/8s8u52J8xe pic.twitter.com/AKZPKaOZHq
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) July 30, 2019
Rescue ops
Pakistani Army is at the spot, rescue operations underway
Local reports said teams of 1122 and Pakistani Army rushed to the scene for rescue operations. Further, an AFP reporter claimed pieces of the wrecked plane were visible from the nearby roof. To note, Pakistan's deadliest air disaster happened in 2010 when an Airbus 321, crashed into hills just outside Islamabad. The flight had started its journey from Karachi and all 152 onboard died.