Emergency teams were battling heavy rain and mud to recover bodies strewn over hills overlooking the capital Islamabad after the country’s worst plane crash.

Authorities speculated that monsoon weather may have been a factor in the crash of the Airblue flight from Karachi to Islamabad. The plane was apparently off course when it slammed into the Margalla Hills near the capital.

The plane’s “black box” flight data recorders have yet to be recovered. Information extracted from them will be key in determining the cause of the crash.

Comments of Air Bus who manufactures the plane:

Airbus regrets to confirm that an Airbus A321 operated by airblue was involved in an accident shortly after 9.45 am local time. The aircraft was operating a scheduled service, Flight ED 202, from Karachi to Islamabad, Pakistan.

The aircraft involved in the accident, registered under AP-BJB, was MSN (Manufacturer Serial Number) 1218, initially delivered from the production line in 2000. The aircraft is leased to airblue in January 2006. The aircraft had accumulated approximately 34,000 flight hours in some 13,500 flights. It was powered by IAE V2533 engines. At this time no further factual information is available.

Airbus is not part of the accident investigation commission but will provide all necessary support to the BEA as well as to the authorities who will be responsible for the accident investigation.

The A321 is a twin-engine single-aisle seating 185 passengers in a standard two-class configuration. The first A321 entered service in January 1994. To date, some 610 A321’s are in service with nearly 70 operators. The entire fleet has accumulated some 10.6 million flight hours in some 5.8 million flights. The A321 is part of the A320 Family which has achieved over 50 million take offs and landings since the first model, the A320, entered commercial service in 1988. Today, more than 4,300 aircraft are in operations to some 310 customers and operators worldwide.

Airbus will make further factual information available as soon as the details have been confirmed.

The concerns and sympathy of the Airbus employees go to the families, friends and loved ones affected by the accident of Flight ED 202.

Videos:

Relatives of the Ghanis are in mourning, like hundreds of other Pakistanis who lost loved ones on the flight.

Prime Minister of Youth Parliament Pakistan:

Hassan Jawaid Khan, member Parliament, Bilal jami, Prem Chand, Owais Bin Laeeq and Saeeda Rubab have been died in air crash air blue Islamabad on 28 July 2010 at 10.00 am.

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