At least 118 people were killed on Friday in a crash of a Boeing-737 passenger jet outside the Pakistani capital Islamabad, tentatively blamed on bad weather, Dawn.com Pakistani television said.
Earlier it was reported that 116 perished in the crash.
The preliminary body count was announced by the Pakistan Defense Ministry. The plane was carrying 127 passengers, according to the country’s Civil Aviation Authority, and crashed in a populated area, which means the total death toll will probably be higher.
Several houses were engulfed in flames after the crash, Twitter user Khalid Khan wrote, citing a rescue worker.
The flight was operated by Bhoja Air company, which was closed in 2000, but resumed operations in March, Pakistani Geo Television said.
The jet was flying from Karachi and due to land in the city of Rawalpindi, which houses the Benazir Bhutto International Airport. The plane was landing in poor visibility due to a thunderstorm in the area, Pakistani television said.
