KARACHI: An Indian aircraft made an emergency landing at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi early on Tuesday, said a source, adding that after a brief stay, the plane took off for its destination in the Middle East.

According to the source, the Doha-bound Jet Airways Boeing 738 was en route from New Delhi to Qatar when the pilot contacted the Karachi air traffic controllers once the plane entered Pakistan’s airspace. The source said that the pilot of the aircraft, citing a medical condition of one of its passengers, asked for permission for an emergency landing which was granted.

As soon as the aircraft (flight JAI 202) with 140 passengers and six crew members landed at Jinnah airport around 1.27am, a Civic Aviation Authority medical team rushed to the plane but the passenger, Sohan Singh, who had a heart attack during the flight, had already passed away.

The pilot asked for a coffin which was provided by the ground handlers and service providers, Gerry Danata. After the body was put in a coffin, the aircraft stayed at Karachi airport for a few hours and then flew onwards to Doha at around 8.46am, said the source.

In Lahore, an aircraft of Ethiopian Airlines made an emergency landing at Allama Iqbal International Airport on Tuesday due to a leakage in its fuel tank.

All passengers of flight 605 were safe, said an official of the Civil Aviation Authority at the airport. Carrying 335 passengers, mostly African and Chinese nationals, along with 12 crew members, the plane was on its way from Beijing to Addis Ababa.

Published in Dawn November 9th, 2016