Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane with 107 people, both passengers, and crew, crashed into a residential area of the city of Karachi on Friday, reports said.

Pakistan's aviation authority said that at least 98 people were on board the flight including the crew. The passenger aircraft crashed in Karachi's suburb destroying several houses and damaging cars.

Huge plumes of dust and smoke, heat from the crash on an already hot afternoon, and narrow neighborhood streets made rescue efforts difficult. The plane from the national carrier Pakistan International Airlines was flying from Lahore to Karachi when it crashed in an area called Model Colony.

According to reports, the flight captain had informed about a "technical snag". All hospitals in the area have been pressed into service.

Military spokesman Major General Babar Iftikhar tweeted, "Pak Army Aviation helicopters flown for damage assessment and rescue efforts. Urban Search & Rescue Teams are being sent on-site for rescue efforts.”

Multiple civilian and military rescue agencies arrived at the scene soon after the crash. Ambulances of non-government aid agencies could be seen evacuating the injured. Large crowds of locals also gathered around the site.

The plane had a capacity of around 160 passengers but due to the social distancing guidelines linked to the novel coronavirus, the onboard numbers were kept low.

The cause of the crash is still being investigated.