20 Dead in DR Congo Plane Crash

At least 20 people were killed after a plane flown by the Belgian head of a local airline crashed while trying to land in western Democratic Republic of Congo, officials said.

The Filair Czech-made twin turboprop crashed Wednesday afternoon at Bandundu after a 300-kilometre (200-mile) flight from the capital Kinshasa, and apparently running out of fuel, Vicky Mboso Muteba said.

“They have brought out the people, we have 19 bodies in the morgue,” said Mboso, the deputy governor of Bandundu province, northeast of Kinshasa.

One of two survivors later died in hospital. The owner of the private airline Filair, Belgian Daniel Philemotte, 62, was at the controls of the Let-410 plane and was among those killed, along with the co-pilot and stewardess, he added.

Mboso said that after an abortive attempt to land, the aircraft turned away and crashed towards the edge of Bandundu city, hitting an earthen house whose residents had managed to flee in time.

There was no explosion, said Mboso, who was one of the first to arrive on the site along with soldiers from MONUC, the UN mission in the Congo.

“Subject to expert opinion… the presumed cause could be a lack of fuel,” he said.

The Czech-made Let-410 normally carries up to 19 passengers.

An official of Kinshasa’s small city-centre Ndolo airport, from which the flight took off, confirmed the crash, but did not provide any additional information.

A Belgian diplomat in Kinshasa said Philemotte was a well-known businessman in the country, and had recently married a Congolese.

All of the country’s 50-odd registered airlines have been placed on a European Union blacklist, banning them from flying into European airspace.

PM rushes to Karachi

KARACHI: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani arrived in Karachi Friday as violence blamed on political and ethnic rivalry between his coalition partners left over 80 people dead, officials said.

The premier’s helicopter landed at the Sindh Governor House where Governor Sindh Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan welcomed him. Both the leaders remained together for sometime.

“Prime Minister Gilani will hold talks with the coalition partners on the law and order situation in the city,” said provincial government spokesman Jamil Soomro.

The violence continued unabated in the country”s commercial hub, bringing the death toll to 85, a senior police official said on condition of anonymity.

Rioters also torched five houses and shops in different neighbourhoods of the southern city late Thursday, said another police officer, Majeed Abbasi.

The prime minister will leave for flood-hit areas of Sindh province on Saturday, Soomro said.

India expresses grief over air crash

NEW DELHI: Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna has condoled the unfortunate loss of innocent lives in the tragic plane crash near Islamabad in Pakistan.

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India expresses grief over air crash

Iran offers condolences to Pakistan

TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast offered condolences to the Pakistani government over the death of 152 people in a plane crash on Wednesday.

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Iran offers condolences to Pakistan

President, PM sad over plane crash

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani expressed deep sorrow over plane crash in Islamabad and ordered immediate relief for the victims. Both the leaders directed the concerned authorities to provide full medical facilities to injured and urged coordinated rescue activities.

Captain of crash plane retired from PIA

RAWALPINDI: The pilot of crashed private airliner Pervaiz Iqbal Chaudhry being retired from national airline sometimes ago.

Crewmembers among 152 killed in crash: Malik

ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik said all 152 persons including crewmembers onboard have been killed in the crash. Earlier, there were reports of survival of five people.

25 bodies shifted to PIMS

ISLAMABAD: Twenty-five bodies of plane crash have been shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

Four killed in Karachi building collapse

KARACHI: A four-storey building collapsed in Karachi’s Orangi Town on Wednesday killing at least four persons.

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Four killed in Karachi building collapse

US envoy condoles over crash

ISLAMABAD,: U.

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US envoy condoles over crash

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