Islamabad -
Pakistan on Thursday observed a day of mourning for the 152 people killed in a plane crash, as heavy rains hampered the recovery of more than a dozen bodies from the crash site in the thickly-forested Margalla Hills near Islamabad.
The Air Blue flight from Karachi crashed as it was circling in heavy rain while waiting for the runway to be cleared for landing early Wednesday. There were no survivors among the 146 passengers and six crew.
Pakistani flags were flying at half mast on all public buildings Thursday to mourn the crash, the worst in the country's aviation history.
Ramzan Sajid, a spokesman for the Capital Development Authority, which is overseeing the rescue work, said that the process to retrieve around 13 bodies from the difficult terrain had slowed down because of heavy rain.
"In the morning hours we had to completely stop the rescue work. At midday, we resumed it when the rain stopped, but halted again because of more rain," Sajid said.
"It's a difficult operation since the debris is scattered in a 1-square-kilometre area and there is no road access," he added.
As the exact cause of the
accident remained unclear, officials hoped the recovery of the plane's black box would help the probe.
"We have not yet found the plane's black box," said Junaid Saleem, head of the Civil Aviation Authority. "From today we will start proper inquiry into the crash."
An investigation board appointed by the government is expected to look into what caused the plane to stray from the normal landing course and slam into Margalla Hills, located some 20 kilometers north of Islamabad's Benazir Bhutto international airport.
Preliminary investigations indicated that pilot error could have caused the accident. The air-traffic control also failed to warn the pilot that he had veered off the flight path, the daily Dawn reported.
"It could be even a combination of both," a member of the investigation board told the newspaper. The possibility of a technical failure is also not being ruled out.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik asked media to avoid speculations about the involvement of any terror action in the disaster. "The inquiry has been ordered today and all aspects will be considered in investigations."
The rescue workers had transported the remains of 139 victims to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Science. Eighty bodies have so far been identified and 66 of them handed over to the relatives, the Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters.
"Many of the bodies are charred and beyond recognition. We are starting DNA tests from today to determine their identities," Interior Minister Rehman Malik said.
Volunteers who assisted the rescue efforts described horrible scenes at the crash site.
US President
Barack Obama offered his deepest condolences to the families of the victims.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those touched by this horrible accident," Obama said. "The American people stand with the people of Pakistan in this moment of tragedy."
