KARACHI: At least 8 crewmembers have reportedly died as a Russian-made cargo plane crashed into under construction buildings shortly after taking off near Dalmia area of Gulistan-e-Johar locality in Karachi, Geo News reported Saturday night.

The crash site is on fierce fire with blue flames raging sky-high meanwhile, rescue activities have been kicked off as the fire tenders, law enforcement agencies, police officials have made their ways to the crash site.

Video footages suggested thick raging fire with blue and yellow flames is emitting from the incident site as the blaze has grappled nearby located buildings.

An under construction building has been completely collapsed in result of plane crash, residents of the area said.

Emergency has been declared in the area as police have cordoned off the entry leading to crash site. Emergency has also been declared at all the major hospitals in Karachi.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the plane had gone down after taking off from Karachi airport.

Spokesman of CAA, Pervez George said it was a Russian-built cargo plane that was bound for Sudan and casualties were feared.

The nationality of the deceased persons is not known yet. The plane was carrying cargo weighing 31 tonnes.

According to initial reports, it was a Russian-made cargo plane. Dalmia is a thickly populated area near Gulistan-e-Johar so more deaths have been feared.

Earlier, people claimed hearing a powerful explosion, which turned a plane crash.

Hundreds of people have arrived on the spot while the crash site is on fire and thick smoke is emitting from the scene, eyewitnesses said.

Another eyewitness Adnan, talking to Geo News, said the left engine of the plane caught fire first then, while preparing to take turn, it crashed into ground.

Reports said there were 8 crewmembers on board which was bound to Khartoom, the capital of Sudan.

According to foreign news agency, a Russian-made cargo plane crashed in a fireball early Sunday, seconds after taking off from Karachi airport with eight people on board, civil aviation and police officials said.

The Russian-made Ilyshin IL-76 aircraft had been bound for the Sudanese capital Khartoum, Civil Aviation Authority spokesman Pervez George told agency.

"It took off from Karachi at 1:45 am and after one and a half minutes it crashed," George told media.

"It was an IL-76 cargo plane. It was going to Khartoum. It had eight people on board," he said.

The crash triggered a massive blaze in the sensitive Dalmai neighbourhood, where the Pakistan Air Force and Navy have residential apartments close to the airport, witnesses and officials said.

source: http://www.geo.tv/11-28-2010/74946.htm