Himalaya Harbinger, Rudrapur Bureau
A flight from Karachi to Lahore had a close brush with disaster on May 24 after getting caught in a sandstorm mid-air. Hair-raising footage shows the intense turbulence it faced while attempting to land at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport.
According to a report in Gulf News, the flight was operated by the private airline Fly Jinnah. While attempting to land in Lahore, it got caught in strong crosswinds which led to poor visibility and extreme turbulence.
Air Traffic Control reportedly asked the pilot of the Karachi to Lahore flight to abort landing attempts. The pilot was forced to turn around and fly back to Karachi.
Footage shared online shows how passengers on Flight FL-842 faced tense moments after the aircraft got caught in a sandstorm. Some people were seen holding onto their seats, while others were filmed praying.
“The landing seemed routine at first. But as soon as the wheels touched the ground, a powerful sandstorm engulfed the plane. Within seconds, we were airborne again. The next 10 to 12 minutes were some of the scariest of my life. The plane was being thrown around violently, visibility was zero, and it felt like we were caught in a cyclone,” said one passenger quoted by Gulf News.
ARY News reported that another flight from Islamabad to Lahore was also diverted to Karachi due to inclement weather.
These incidents occurred just a couple of days after an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Srinagar experienced turbulence due to extreme weather conditions. The flight was hit by a violent storm and hailstones near Pathankot and needed IAF assistance to land safely.
