Aircraft Inspections Begin After Islamabad Crash

A man walks past the wreckage of the Bhoja Air Boeing 737 at the scene of the crash on the outskirts of Islamabad.

Pakistani aviation authorities have begun safety inspections of all passenger planes operated by private Pakistani airlines.

The inspections follow the crash of a Bhoja Air jet in the capital, Islamabad, on April 20 that killed all 127 people onboard.

In another incident, officials said disaster was narrowly avoided on April 22 when a rear tire burst on a Shaheen Air flight with 178 people on board as its landing gear broke during a landing in Karachi.

Officials said safety inspections would first be carried out on Bhoja Air planes and then on aircraft of Shaheen and Airblue, Pakistan's other two private airlines.

Officials say planes from the national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines underwent checks a few months ago.

Based on reporting by AFP and local Pakistani media