At Least 18 Killed after a Pakistani Military Plane Crashed in a Residential Area

At least 18 people were killed in a small military plane crash. The plane belongs to the Pakistani Army's aviation unit, Nova TV reported. The incident occurred in a residential area in Rawalpindi on Tuesday morning during a routine training flight.

Five crew members including the pilots and 13 civilians were among the dead, rescue services said. The wounded were 12.

After the crash, a large fire broke out in the area of ​​the shopping complex, affecting several houses.

The cause of the plane crash is still unclear.

According to BBC witnesses at the scene said the aircraft crashed into a family home in a residential area around 02:00 local time (07:00 GMT).

"I was awake when the plane flew over my room and it was already on fire in the air," said resident Ghulam Khan. "The sound was so scary, it was only a small plane. It then fell on a house where a family used to live."

Another witness, Yasir Baloch, said: "The tail of the plane was on fire and it took barely two to three seconds and it crashed four houses away from my house and burnt to ashes."