Pakistani plane crashes with 150 on board

ISLAMABAD, July 28 (AFP): A Pakistani airliner carrying 150 people crashed Wednesday in a ball of flames in densely wooded hills above Islamabad while coming into land in heavy rain and poor visibility, officials said.

Police said bodies were scattered near the smouldering wreckage in hills that were inaccessible and shrouded in thick cloud during a downpour, following Pakistan's first major aviation accident in four years.

Up to five people were confirmed dead but police said six survivors were picked up by helicopters near the site.

Airblue spokesman Raheel Ahmed told AFP the Airbus A-321 took off from Karachi bound for Islamabad with 144 passengers and six crew members on board.

"Apparently the cause of the crash is bad weather, but we leave that to the investigators," he told AFP.

The plane plummeted into a gorge between two hills, enveloped in cloud and some distance from the road, severely hampering rescue efforts and visibility from helicopters hovering overhead, said an AFP correspondent.

Witnesses said flames and smoke were rising from parts of the wreckage.