(Newser)
–
There were no survivors among the 152 passengers and crew on board an Airblue plane that crashed into hills near the Pakistani capital this morning. The Airbus 321, flying from Karachi to Islamabad, lost contact with the control tower as it was about to land, a local official told AP. Heavy rain and thick fog in the area are impeding efforts to recover bodies and determine the cause of the crash. Two Americans are reported to be among the dead.
"It came from the city toward the Margalla Hills. It was raining heavily," a witness told CNN. "It shattered into pieces as soon as it crashed. A burst of flames came off, but the rain put out the fire." A Karachi businessman says he was booked on the flight but canceled after learning that there was heavy rain and lightning around Islamabad. "I am still numb. I am very numb. I feel that it's fate," he said.
