PIA flight crash: 21 bodies recovered so far

21 bodies have been recovered so far from the wreckage of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-661 that crashed on Wednesday with over 40 passengers aboard.

The flight was on its way to Islamabad from Chitral and carried 42 passengers, five crew members and one ground engineer on board, said PIA Spokesman Daniyal Gilani.

A government official on the scene said that there are unlikely to be any survivors.

"All of the bodies are burned beyond recognition. The debris is scattered," said Taj Muhammad Khan, a government official based in the Havelian region.

Global aviation watchdog Aviation Herald said that PK-661 crashed near Abbottabad due to engine problems. TV reports also point towards a fault in the left engine, and ascribe blame to a technical fault in the aircraft.

However, these claims have not been verified by the PIA, reports the Dawn.

"It remains to be seen if this was a technical fault. In Pakistan, there is a big question regarding whether international safety standards are followed when it comes to aircrafts," said Air Marshall Shahid Latif.