97 killed in Pakistan plane crash

At least 97 people have been confirmed dead in a plane crash in Pakistan's largest city Karachi, reports the Dawn quoting Sindh health officials.

Earlier on Friday, The Airbus jet with 99 people on board crashed while approaching the airport. Sindh health officials have said that 97 people have been confirmed dead, while two survived the crash. 

One of the survivor is Zafar Masood, president of the Bank of Punjab, a Sindh provincial government spokesman told Reuters. 

The bank said he had suffered fractures but was "conscious and responding well".

The other survivor, engineer Muhammad Zubair, told Geo News the pilot came down for one landing, briefly touched down, then took off again.

After around 10 more minutes of flying, the pilot announced to passengers he was going to make a second attempt, then crashed as he approached the runway, Zubair said from his bed in Civil Hospital Karachi.

Eyewitnesses said the Airbus A320 appeared to attempt to land two or three times before crashing in a Model Colony near Jinnah International Airport.

"The aeroplane first hit a mobile tower and crashed over houses," witness Shakeel Ahmed told Reuters who lives near the crash site, just a few kilometres short of the airport.

Footage showed plumes of smoke rising from the site of the crash. Ambulances and rescue officials arrived at the scene to help residents.