Islamabad, PakistanA plane crash in Pakistan has killed 152 people. The Airblue flight was en route from Karachi to Islamabad. Experts believe it may have veered off course to avoid monsoon rains and crashed in the hills near the country's capital city.
While initial reports indicated that five people may have survived, the head of Pakistan's civil defense body reportedly told NBC News that there are no survivors. At least two Americans are among the dead, according to US Embassy spokesperson Richard Snelsire.
Bin Yameen, who is a senior Islamabad police official, told MSNBC.com, "Dead bodies are lying all around."
The Airbus A321 was just 15 kilometers from the airport in Aslamabad when it collided with the surrounding Margalla hills. The resulting fire has scored a wide path in the forest and a section of the Faisal Mosque. Reports indicate that wreckage from the aircraft can be seen hanging from trees.
"I'm not surprised something like this has happened," Ahmed Fairuz, a passenger awaiting departure at Aslamabad airport told Reuters. "The weather is just too bad for flying."