KARACHI: Nineteen passengers and four members of the crew were killed when [an Air India] Bombay-bound Dakota crashed in flames on the sea-beach, a mile from Korangi seaplane base, on Saturday [Dec 27] evening. There were no survivors. This first disaster in the history of commercial aviation in the Indian sub-continent occurred 20 minutes after the plane had taken off from Drigh Road Airport. A deafening explosion accompanied by a blinding flash of light, shook the entire Korangi seaplane base area and sent BOAC staff running out of their barracks into the open.

One officer saw a huge flaming ball coming down rapidly from an altitude of about 7,000 feet. Soon the ill-fated Dakota started disintegrating in the air. Then with a tremendous roar the plane hit the earth. The fuselage was smashed into more than half a dozen pieces. Only the front portion with engines and the charred bodies of Captain Derry, Pilot, and co-Pilot Talyar Khan, stood where the plane fell. …

The BOAC staff rang up the police and rushed first-aid to the place of the tragedy. The entire wreckage area was cordoned off, after driving off the jackals which had rushed to the spot looking for likely prey. — Dawn staff correspondent

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2022