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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Samuel Osborne

Pakistani plane from Chitral to Islamabad carrying up to 47 passengers 'disappears'

A Pakistani plane carrying up to 47 passengers has crashed near Abottabad, a regional police official has said.

Pakistan International Airlines' (PIA) passenger plane PK 116 was on its way to Islamabad from the northern city of Chitral.

The national flag carrier confirmed in a statement the plane had lost contact with air traffic controllers on Wednesday afternoon.

"PIA's ATR-42 aircraft operating as PK-661, carrying around 40 persons lost its contact with the control tower on its way from Chitral to Islamabad a short while ago," PIA spokesman Daniyal Gilani tweeted.

"All resources are being mobilised to locate the aircraft."

Initial reports said there were 37 passengers on the plane, however reports from Geo News and Dawn News channels both reported 47 people were on board the missing aircraft.

Geo News, citing civil aviation sourecs, said the plane lost contact with civil aviation authority at around 4.30pm (11.30 GMT).

Laiq Shah, a senior police official in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province told Reuters by telephone the plane had crashed in that region, near the town of Havelian.

He said Ground rescue teams were en route to the crash site.

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