Major Train Accidents and Aircraft Crashes
Islamabad 28th July 2010: At around 10 AM this morning, an airbus of air blue flight ABQ-ED 202 coming from Karachi to Islamabad crashed on the slopes of Margalla Hills, overlooking the capital city Islamabad. The plane was carrying 146 passengers and six crew members on board. All aboard unfortunately could not survive. At the time of crash, the weather at Islamabad was heavily overcast and it was raining. Usually the landing approach to the Benazir International airport, Islamabad is much away from the Margalla Hills. But due to heavy low clouds, it is speculated that the pilot may have flown towards the Maragalla Hills and crashing in the process. But real cause of crash is too early to ascertain. Pakistan has declared a day of national mourning and the national flag will fly at half mast on 29 July to pay homage to the victims of the ill fated aircraft.
MULTAN, July 10 2006: A Lahore-bound Fokker F-27 of PIA perished into a wheat field minutes after take off from Multan airport, along with all 45 people on board, including five crew members, two judges, of the Lahore High Court, two army brigadiers, and the VC of the Multan (Bahauddin Zakariya) University. The plane took off at 12 noon, and lost contact with the control tower within minutes and crashed in in the Sooraj Miani locality of the city. According to an eye witness, the plane went tumbling down. The plane first hit the mango trees and then hit electricity wires before slamming into the wall of the orchard and hit the ground with a huge thud. Then we heard some faint voices crying for help from the wreckage, but fire immediately engulfed the entire wreckage," he said. Another eyewitness, Dr Ilyas whose house is close to the crash sites, reached the scene of accident after 15 minutes and found heap of dead bodies lying one over the other, charred and beyond recognition. In August 1989, another PIA Fokker, with 54 people onboard, crashed in northern Pakistan - its wreckage was never found. In 2003, Pakistan's Air Force chief, Air Marshall Musahf Ali Mir, his wife and two air vice-marshals were among 16 people killed when the PAF Fokker crashed in north-west Pakistan. PIA has seven other Fokker in its fleet. The aircraft that crashed was bought four decades ago. Late last year, PIA ordered seven new ATR42-500 modern turboprop planes from French company Avions de Transport Regional to replace its ageing Fokker aircraft. The federal cabinet in its decision on 12 July has decided not to use the remaining Fokker fleet of PIA for the passengers and would be used for freight and goods services.
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