Pakistan plane crash survivor, Engineer Muhammad Zubair, who was pulled alive from the wreckage after the Pakistani International Airlines jet crashed near Karachi, said he could ‘just see fire and hear screams’ as jet plummeted
The survivor of a devastating plane crash in Pakistan has described how the burning aircraft fell from the sky.
Engineer Muhammad Zubair, who is one of just two people on board to survive the tragic accident, told Geo News that all he could see was “smoke and fire” as it plummeted to the ground.
The Pakistan International Airlines jet, which was carrying 99 people, went down in a crowded residential area near Karachi’s main airport yesterday afternoon.
Speaking from his bed in Karachi’s Civil Hospital, Mr Zubair said: “All I could see around was smoke and fire.
“I could hear screams from all directions. Kids and adults. All I could see was fire. I couldn’t see any people – just hear their screams.”
He was pulled alive from burning plane wreckage with ‘only a few scratches’
“I opened my seat belt and saw some light. I went towards the light. I had to jump down about 10 feet to get to safety.”
The crash is understood to have occurred after the captain reported a loss of power in both engines and issued a mayday alert.
Mr Zubair, who survived alongside Zafar Masood, president of the Bank of Punjab, added that about 10 minutes after a failed landing attempt, the pilot told passengers he would try again but went down as the plane neared the runway.
The Airbus A320 had been flying from Lahore to Karachi on Friday before the start of Eid, the festival which marks the end of Ramadan fasting.
Officials have confirmed that at least 97 people died in the crash, which happened at about 2.30pm local time.
A Sindh provincial government spokesman confirmed that another passenger, Zafar Masood, president of the Bank of Punjab.
Footage shows Mr Masood, who suffered just broken bones and scratches, being carried away from the burning wreckage.
He is now believed to be “conscious and responding well”.
The plane’s black box, which contains cockpit audio recordings and technical flight data, has been recovered by investigators.
