PK 8303 crash: Victims of chance and circumstance

Three domestic workers, waiting outside when plane plunged into Model Colony, left with severe burns

KARACHI: They are neither residents of tragedy-stricken Model Colony, nor were they aboard the ill-fated PK-8303 flight that met an unfortunate end on Friday.

Yet they are still suffering from the aftermath of the plane crash.

Aziza, 20, Mahira, 18 and Naheeda, 13 - all three of whom are cousins - had little idea of what was to come their way when they left home for work on Friday morning. Despite the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown, the atmosphere at their homes was festive in anticipation of Eidul Fitr as Ramazan neared its end.

It was amid this merriment that they and their other cousins left their homes in Jam Kando, Malir, for Model Colony, where they worked as househelp at multiple residences.

Sobia, one of the cousins who accompanied them, revealed that they toiled all day long and would return home tired in the evening.

But they would not reach their homes on Friday evening. Instead, they would end up in the hospital, burned and injured as a consequence of the plane crash.

Recalling the dreadful happenings of the day, Sobia related that Aziza, Mahira and Naheeda had been waiting for her and another cousin outside in the street - into which the plane crashed - for them to finish work so that they could leave for home together.

"We were inside, working, when we heard a loud blast. It was so sudden and then all hell broke loose," she narrated, still horrified and reeling in the aftermath. "Plumes of smoke and cries for help emanated from every corner of the street. Flames erupted across the street, burning Aziza, Mahira and Naheeda."

According to Sobia, until help arrived, people in the neighbourhood were left to save themselves.

By the time the three cousins were shifted to an ambulance to be taken to a hospital, they were badly burnt.

Now under treatment at the burns centre at Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital, Naheeda has sustained 59 per cent burn injuries and is in critical condition, Mahira has sustained 30 per cent burn injuries and Aziza, 33 per cent, according to the hospital administration.

As the news reached their homes, the festive air turned sombre and mournful.

"We haven't celebrated Eid this year. We just pray for them to recover soon," said Naheeda's sister, Shahida.

Aziza's shaken and distressed father, Varayun, who only found about the tragedy two days later, said, "This was my daughter's first Eid after marriage. I don't know who to hold responsible for her condition, I just want her to recover soon."

The family now looks to the government to help them in financially in this time of crisis, uncertain if and when the three will be able to work again.

While the government had announced compensation worth Rs1 million for each of the deceased aboard the aircraft, in addition to promising Rs500,000 for the surviving passengers and bearing the cost of repair for the damaged houses, the families of victims of chance like Mahira, Aziza and Naheeda have only received verbal assurances of help thus far.

According to the injured domestic workers' maternal uncle, Muhammad Essa, few government officials visited his nieces at the hospital and promised assistance.

Following this, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders MNA Aftab Siddiqui and adviser on maritime affairs Mahmood Moulvi announced on Wednesday that each of the three injured domestic workers would be given Rs500,000.

The announcement came after the PTI leaders, along with Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, visited the burns ward at Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital on Tuesday. They gave assurances of providing all possible assistance to the injured domestic workers and expressed sorrow over the tragic plane crash.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 28^th, 2020.