KARACHI/ISLAMABAD, Dec 22: A passenger and an airhostess of PIA's flight from Islamabad to Karachi were slightly injured when a major air disaster was averted.

The spokeswoman for the PIA told Dawn that flight No PK-309, coming from Islamabad, and an Air Blue flight (ED-406) going to Lahore from Karachi nearly missed a head-on collision as both the planes were flying almost at the same altitude.

She said the automatic warning system of the plane was activated near Rahimyar Khan and the pilot of PK-309 timely changed the plane's altitude by 700 meters. Federal Information Minister Shaikh Rasheed and leader of the ruling party in Senate Wasim Sajjad were among 179 passengers on the PIA flight.

The spokeswoman said that due to abrupt change of altitude a passenger and a crew member were slightly injured when they hit the ceiling of the plane. They received minor injuries and were provided medical treatment at the Karachi airport.

Sheikh Rashid told Dawn that an inquiry had been initiated to determine how the two planes were flying on the same air corridor. MNA Kanwar Khalid Younis, who was also on the PIA flight, told Dawn a crew member suffered a fracture of the leg because of a sudden change in the plane's altitude.

He said some of other crew members and passengers also received head injuries. Sheikh Rashid said the pilot of the PIA plane had acted swiftly within two and a half second, otherwise it would have been a big disaster. He said the passengers' cabin baggage and the meal served by the PIA crew fell on the aircraft's floor. Children and women started crying and screaming.

AFP ADDS: Warning signals were given to both pilots who were flying at an altitude of around 3700 feet over Rahim Yar Khan. "One was asked to dip off, the other was directed to go high but both dipped down," the PIA's spokeswoman added.

"An emergency was declared at the Karachi airport, ambulances were called and fire brigades were put on alert but thanks God a major disaster was averted," a Civil Aviation Authority official, Yusuf Abbas, told AFP.

He said an inquiry had been launched into the incident. "There will be an investigation how the two planes had been flying on the same air corridor and why the pilots of both did not follow the warning signals," he said.