Plane with 150 on board crashes near Islamabad
By IANSWednesday, July 28, 2010
ISLAMABAD - An aircraft carrying 150 passengers crashed in the Margalla Hills near this Pakistani capital amid heavy rain Wednesday morning.
The private airlines that was flying from Turkey to Islamabad via Karachi, the south port city of Pakistan, suddenly lost contact with the control tower of Islamabad airport, TV channel ARY News reported.
The plane crashed near the Damanekoh resort behind the mountainous Margalla Hills that edge Islamabad. Some areas are fitted with anti-aircraft guns and many Pakistani troop checkpoints are located on the wooded hills.
Fire and thick smoke was clearly visible from the picnic spot of Damanekoh.
Eyewitnesses saw the aircraft taking a very low flight.
Rainfall in Islamabad and dense fog might have caused the incident, a source in the Rescue-1122 emergency services told Xinhua on phone.
Rescue efforts were promptly launched as a helicopter circled overhead to take stock of the situation.
Many flights have been grounded due to bad weather in eastern city of Lahore.
