A cargo plane has crashed into homes in Karachi, Pakistan, soon after take-off, setting off a huge blaze and killing the Russian crew on board, the civil aviation authority said.
The Russian-made plane came down in an upmarket neighbourhood of Pakistan's largest city at around 1.50am on Sunday local time. Witnesses said one of the plane's engines was on fire when it flew overhead.
Fire engines sprayed foam on to the crash site and as the flames died down, rescuers began searching through the destroyed buildings, looking for bodies or survivors.
The plane came down in a housing complex for naval officers.
Hundreds of people came to see the spectacle and film it with their mobile phones, hampering access for emergency workers.
Witness Hasan Hashmi said fire could be seen from one of the plane's engines as it flew overhead.
Aviation authority spokesman Pervais George said the plane was heading to Sudan when it came down two minutes after take-off. He said the eight crew, all Russians, were dead.
Local television reported the plane was an Ilyushin Il-89, a multi-purpose cargo plane that is often used for ferrying humanitarian aid to developing countries, as well as other large items.
The crash was the third in less than five months in Pakistan. Earlier this month in Karachi, 21 people were killed when a small passenger plane crashed soon after take off.
In July, a passenger jet operated by Pakistan carrier Airblue crashed into hills overlooking the capital, Islamabad, during stormy weather, killing all 152 on board.
A cargo plane has crashed into homes in Karachi, Pakistan, soon after take-off, setting off a huge blaze and killing the Russian crew on board, the civil aviation authority said.
The Russian-made plane came down in an upmarket neighbourhood of Pakistan's largest city at around 1.50am on Sunday local time. Witnesses said one of the plane's engines was on fire when it flew overhead.
Fire engines sprayed foam on to the crash site and as the flames died down, rescuers began searching through the destroyed buildings, looking for bodies or survivors.
The plane came down in a housing complex for naval officers.
Hundreds of people came to see the spectacle and film it with their mobile phones, hampering access for emergency workers.
Witness Hasan Hashmi said fire could be seen from one of the plane's engines as it flew overhead.
Aviation authority spokesman Pervais George said the plane was heading to Sudan when it came down two minutes after take-off. He said the eight crew, all Russians, were dead.
Local television reported the plane was an Ilyushin Il-89, a multi-purpose cargo plane that is often used for ferrying humanitarian aid to developing countries, as well as other large items.
The crash was the third in less than five months in Pakistan. Earlier this month in Karachi, 21 people were killed when a small passenger plane crashed soon after take off.
In July, a passenger jet operated by Pakistan carrier Airblue crashed into hills overlooking the capital, Islamabad, during stormy weather, killing all 152 on board.