Army has been and will remain at the forefront of helping the nation during national calamities. Rescue operations like a plane crash symbolize deep love, association and care of the Army for the nation.
"Dua-e-Sakina, the use of mobile phone is not advisable and safe for kids. Let's go to the market and buy batteries for your toys.” It was 1100 hours on May 22, 2020, when I, Lieutenant Colonel Ghayyur Abbas advised her younger daughter on the pros and cons of using mobiles. Later, he went to the market and brought batteries for the toys. Dua got busy with her brother and sister playing with the toys, and I placed the mobile phone away from the reach of children in one of the rooms.
As it was the first day of the Eid holiday, and due to the threat of COVID-19 in Karachi, HQ 25 Mechanized Division decided to open Askari Star Mall so that families could buy necessary items from within the Cantonment area to remain safe from the rapidly spreading coronavirus.
At 1500 hours on May 22, when I went to pick up my mobile phone to go to Askari Star Mall along with my family, I noticed a number of missed calls from Division staff, including General Officer Commanding (GOC) 25 Mechanized Division and Commissioner Karachi. I immediately contacted GOC, who informed me that ten minutes earlier, PIA’s Airbus A320, Flight PK-8303 had crashed in Karachi. GOC 25 Mechanized Division, Major General Muhammad Aqeel ordered me to reach Model Colony to conduct a rescue operation where the PIA plane had crashed, while details of damage were still unknown. At that time, I was commanding an Engineers unit in Karachi and had experience in rescue operations on numerous occasions in Karachi. On reaching the site, I received a call from the then Chief of Staff, 5 Corps (now GOC 45 Engineers Division) Major General Abdus Sami to assess the damage on the ground caused due to the plane crash in a densely populated area of Model Colony. The locals informed me that a family was entrapped in a house, owned by Mr. Faisal, where the main fuselage and engine were on fire. There was no direct access to the house through the street due to the aircraft being set on fire right at the house's main gate, which prompted me to climb the rooftop of a three-story house just beside the burning tail of the aircraft.
I went from one rooftop to the next without any stairs and reached the house where the whole family was entrapped. I saw a lady who was 50 percent burnt and was screaming because of severe burn injuries. That lady was evacuated single-handedly through rooftops besides having a frozen shoulder–an injury that had occurred in Siachen’s Gyong Sector–and her life was saved. There were 16 more family members (eight kids, three males and five females) in chaos. I closed the doors of the house to stop the entry of smoke and unauthorized people into the house and deputed my runner to ensure security at the owner's request. In the meantime, GOC 25 Mechanized Division and Chief of Staff 5 Corps also shared videos of the site made through aerial reconnaissance by 7 Army Aviation Squadron. Based on site conditions, within no time, I managed the site by deputing men and plant machinery of my unit in a narrow street, which had only one approach and was closed off from all other sides by 2-3 storey buildings. I also arranged Edhi and Chhipa ambulances for covering the burnt dead bodies in a coffin and further transportation to mortuaries. On the request of Commissioner Karachi, Mr. Iftikhar Shilwani also incorporated the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team Karachi along with his men, who worked non-stop for the next 13 hours on his instructions.
At around 2300 hours late at night, the Army’s USAR team also reached Karachi, equipped with much-sophisticated equipment. The officer ensured building up an environment (complete silence) to deploy USAR equipment to look for any sign of life in the burnt debris of PK-8303. When no sign of life was found, rescue operation to recover the dead bodies was started again. Meanwhile, I also briefed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PIA, Air Marshal Arshad Malik, HI (M) and Commander 5 Corps about the ongoing operations during their visit to the site. During the abovementioned rescue operation, from 2215 hours on May 2020 until 2305 hours on May 2020, 97 dead bodies were retrieved. The next day, the complete wreckage of the plane was also shifted to Jinnah terminal, and all evidence was saved while keeping PIA authorities onboard. I, along with my team, searched the black box and video recorder, which were handed over to PIA authorities.
Owing to the lifting of the human load and continuous rescue operation, my right eye’s retina got hemorrhage resulting in internal bleeding, blurred vision and sensitivity of eyes to light. Due to the degree of severity and seriousness of the wound, doctors of Agha Khan Hospital executed laser surgery on my bleeding eye. After the termination of the said internal security rescue operation, I was awarded a Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Commendation Card, DO letter from Major General Muhammad Aqeel, GOC 25 Mechanized Division, and an appreciation letter from Air Marshal Arshad Malik, HI (M), CEO PIA. I was also declared war-wounded for my services in conducting a continued rescue operation besides having a bleeding eye.
Army has been and will remain at the forefront of helping the nation during national calamities. Rescue operations like a plane crash symbolize deep love, association and care of the Army for the nation. May Allah keep Pakistan safe from such incidents in the future. Amen!
The author is a graduate of Military College of Engineering Risalpur and Command and Staff College Quetta. During his service, he has planned and executed numerous rescue operations which includes rescue operations at M2 Motorway in 2007, four major building collapses in Karachi from 2019-2021, rescue operation PK-8303 in May 2020 and flood rescue operations in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Presently, he is serving as General Staff Officer Grade 1 at Headquarters Engineers 30 Corps.
Email:
rukhehaider@gmail.com
Army has been and will remain at the forefront of helping the nation during national calamities. Rescue operations like a plane crash symbolize deep love, association and care of the Army for the nation. "Dua-e-Sakina, the use of mobile phone is not advisable and safe for kids. Let's go to...
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