Pakistani authorities confirm death of 97 people In A320 plane crash in Karachi

MOSCOW, May 23 -- Pakistan's Sindh Health Department spokeswoman Meeran Yousuf confirmed on Saturday that 97 people had died in the A320 plane crash near Karachi, reported Russia's Sputnik News Agency. 

The Pakistan International Airlines passenger jet with 99 people on board crashed into a crowded neighborhood near the southern Pakistani city of Karachi. The Sindh provincial health ministry said earlier that 80 bodies had been found. 

"Final #PlaneCrash update for today: Total people on board: 99. Total deaths: 97. Survivors: 02," Yousuf wrote on her Twitter page. 

The spokeswoman added that 19 bodies had been identified so far and the search-and-rescue operation at the crash site is underway.

-- BERNAMA