WikimediaA plane carrying at least 47 people has gone missing in Pakistan.
The Pakistan International Airlines flight, travelling between Chitral to Islamabad, vanished from the radar near Havelian in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, reports The Independent.
The plane, Flight PK661, took off at around 3pm local time (10am GMT) but just after 4:30 communication was lost with the control tower leading many to believe that the plane had crashed.
#BREAKING Pakistan plane with 37 passengers 'disappears': airline spokesman
— AFP news agency (@AFP) December 7, 2016
Searches for the plane are currently underway and while it is rumoured the plane has crashed, nothing as of yet has been confirmed.
Eyewitnesses in the Havelian area claim to have seen a plane crash in a hilly area, adding that clouds of smoke could be seen billowing in the sky.
Images have emerged on social media appearing to show the crash site – however these have yet to be confirmed as legitamate:
Latest pictures of PIA flight #PK661 crash in Abbotabad. Flames of fire could seen#PIAPlaneCrash pic.twitter.com/8mwFbO5uie
— Ansab khn (انسب خان) (@Ansab_Khan) December 7, 2016
This is the scene of the crash site#PIA #Chitral #PK661 #Havelian #Abbottabad #JunaidJamshed pic.twitter.com/3tYJEohu0J
— Malik Zubair Awan ? (@ZubairSabirPTI) December 7, 2016
PIA ATR 42-500 Chitral to Islamabad flight PK-661 crash site and wreckage. pic.twitter.com/JDk8EmDxH6
— historyofpiadotcom (@historyofpia1) December 7, 2016
In the hours which followed the crash, videos also emerged – reportedly showing the crash site:
Search and rescue teams were quickly sent to the area.
The #ATR42-500 involved in the crash of #PK661 is reported to be AP-BHOhttps://t.co/NZdi5k3nbo
Asuspine GFDL#avgeek pic.twitter.com/i3QpMOgLww— Aviation Commons (@aviationcommons) December 7, 2016
There are also reports that Junaid Jamshed, a Pakistani singer-songwriter, actor, model, and TV personality was on board the flight with his family.
PIA flight PK-661 crashes near Abbottabad @JunaidJamshedPK and family on the plane it is reported https://t.co/06nVMm53Xb
— Baseem Baig Chagtai (@Bchagtai) December 7, 2016
DC Chitral confirms that Junaid Jamshed and family members were on crashed PIA flight
— Hassaan Khan (@HassaanKahn) December 7, 2016
The news comes just one week after LaMia Flight 2933 crashed in the mountains of Colombia while en route from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, to José María Córdova International Airport, Colombia.
The plane was carrying 77 passengers, including numerous members of the Chapecoense football team who were travelling to Colombia to play the first leg of of the 2016 Copa Sudamericana Finals in Medellín.
TRAGIC NEWS
Brazilian Copa Sudamericana finalists Chapecoense in horror plane crash in Colombia. Deaths feared https://t.co/S9JVPR0VzW pic.twitter.com/jljowWoHpR
— 101 Great Goals (@101greatgoals) November 29, 2016
71 people died on board.
Our thoughts go out to all those onboard flight PK661.
More to follow
