A Pakistan International Airline flight carrying over forty people has crashed in Northern Pakistan, killing dozens. In a statement, the airline said that plane, Flight PK-661, “lost contact with the control tower on its way from Chitral to Islamabad a short while ago.”
The flight crashed in the northern area of Havelian, 43 miles north of its destination of Islamabad. Multiple images and videos have surfaced of the crash, showing the flaming wreckage amid the northern hills.
The army and helicopters have been deployed in the area, though fires, mountainous terrain have been hindering work. Although an official has revealed that it is unlikely there are any survivors. Taj Muhammed Khan said “All of the bodies are burned beyond recognition. The debris is scattered.”
Similarly, Sarfar Aurangzeb Nalota, a local legislator, told AFP, “The way the plane crashed and broke into pieces, there is no chance of any survival.” So far, only twenty one bodies have been recovered.
Junaid Jamshed, one of the most notable popstars in the Pakistani world, and his wife have been found to have been on the manifest. Jamshed was an icon in the music scene as well as a fashion designer, actor and, towards the end of his life, evangelical cleric. The 52-year-old, who received a Medal of Excellence by the President of Pakistan, is feared to be among the dead.
