A Pakistani passenger plane crashed in heavy rain near Islamabad this morning, killing all 152 people on board.
The Airbus 321, belonging to private airline Airblue, crashed into a heavily wooded hillside while flying from the southern port city of Karachi.
The flight was being diverted into land at Islamabad's Benazir Bhutto International airport when it crashed.
Officials suggested the flight had been diverted due to bad weather, but it is unclear why the jet was flying so low and close to the Margalla Hills - off the normal route for aircraft arriving from the southern city of Karachi.
The US embassy said two Americans were on the flight. The Austrian government said an Austrian-born businessman was also on board.
The plane crashed between two hills, some distance from the road, severely hampering rescue efforts and limiting visibility for search helicopters.
It lost contact with the control room of the Islamabad International Airport at 5.43am Irish time. It was carrying 146 passengers and six crew members.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik said: 'The pilot was given directions to land either on runway I or II.
'The plane was at 2,600 feet (792 metres) before landing but suddenly it went to 3,000, which was unexplained.
'If the visibility to the runway was so poor then it should have been diverted.'
Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhatar said the control tower at the airport had been sealed and a team would examine the 'black box' data recorder and radio traffic between the plane and the tower.
The military said it had sent three helicopters to the site and troops had also been moved there.
Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani surveyed rescue operations from the air and the government declared tomorrow a day of mourning for the victims.
