Karachi plane crash: Pakistani International Airlines Airbus A320 crashes in residential area

A plane reportedly carrying more than 100 people has crashed in a residential area in Pakistan, according to reports.

The Pakistan International Airlines flight from Lahore to Karachi reportedly had around 99 passengers and eight crew, aviation officials told the BBC.

Pictures shared on social media show smoke rising from the crash site, which is in a residential area in Karachi.

The plane was reportedly preparing to land when it crashed a few kilometres north-east of Jinnah International Airport.

Emergency services are at the scene and it is believed several homes have been damaged.

“The plane crashed in Karachi. We are trying to confirm the number of passengers but initially it is 99 passengers and eight crew members,” Pakistan aviation authority spokesman Abdul Sattar Khokhar said.

The crash comes just days after the country allowed some commercial flights to resume.

Pakistan has a chequered aviation safety record, including a number of deadly plane crashes.

In 2010, an aircraft operated by private airline Airblue crashed near Islamabad, killing all 152 people on board.

In 2012, a Boeing 737-200 operated by Pakistan’s Bhoja Air crashed in bad weather on its approach to land in Rawalpindi, killing all 121 passengers and six crew.