The authorities are also expecting casualties on the ground. They said the aircraft was a cargo plane that took off from the Karachi airport en route to Khartoum. Witnesses said the aircraft crashed five minutes after taking off.

The plane crashed in the Gulshan-e-Jamal locality, a residential area in Karsaz, neighboring the Naval Colony.

Eye witnesses said the aircraft's engine was on fire before it crashed.

Residents of Gulshan-e-Jamal stated more casualties were expected. They also said that two buildings were totaled.

An Associated Press reporting team said several buildings were on fire and loud explosions were being heard. Fire trucks sprayed foam onto the crash site. As the flames died down, rescuers began searching through the destroyed buildings, looking for bodies or survivors.

TV footage showed several bodies at a local hospital.

Hundreds of people came to see the spectacle and film it with their cell phones, hampering access for emergency workers.

Witness Hasan Hashmi said fire could be seen from one of the plane's engines as it flew overhead.

Local television reported the plane was an Il-89, a multipurpose cargo plane that is often used for ferrying humanitarian aid to developing countries, as well as other large items.

The crash was the third in less than five months in Pakistan. Earlier this month in Karachi, 21 people were killed when a small passenger plane crashed soon after take off.

In July, a passenger jet operated by Pakistan carrier Airblue crashed into hills overlooking the capital, Islamabad, during stormy weather, killing all 152 onboard.