The Pakistan Air Force Ministry said the flight carried 99 passengers and 8 crew members.
Flight PK 8303 took off from Lahore and was due to land at 14:30. Local time in Karachi but disappeared from radar, Pakistan International Airlines spokesman Abdullah Khan told CNN.
The pilot of the Airbus A320 airliner made a phone call in May saying he was having technical problems, Khan told CNN.
“He was told that both runways were available for his use, but he preferred to use the landing route, we are looking into the technical problem. Our prayers for the lives that have been lost,” said Khan.
An emergency response protocol has been activated, he added.
The videos posted on the social media scene show flames, plumes of smoke and a road full of rubble in what appears to be a built-up area.
The Pakistani civil aviation authority allowed limited domestic air travel to resume on Saturday after a two-month suspension imposed as part of efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus.
International flights are not expected to resume until June 1st. Pakistan began a gradual reopening of its national block Covid-19 on 9 May.
This is a developing story.
This story has been updated to correct the plane’s flight number.
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