Tragedy in Vilnius: Cargo plane crash claims crew member
A cargo plane operated by the logistics company DHL crashed on Monday morning near the airport in Vilnius, damaging a residential building. Tragically, one of the four crew members lost their life in the incident. The causes of the accident are currently under investigation.
At approximately 3:30 GMT, a Boeing 737 from the Spanish airline Swiftair, en route from Leipzig, clipped a private house while attempting to land, resulting in a fire outbreak, local authorities reported, according to the BBC. Earlier reports had suggested that the aircraft crashed directly into the building.
The Director of the Fire and Rescue Department, Renatas Požela, stated that the plane crashed several miles from the airport. After sliding a few hundred yards, it struck a house, "slightly damaging it." Numerous police and fire brigade units are currently working at the scene.
During an urgent press conference, Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Centre (NKVC), announced that 12 residents were evacuated from the damaged house.
Fortunately, there were no casualties among the residents. As for the four-person crew of the plane, one individual was killed, and two were transported to hospital. One person remains unaccounted for, he added.
Vilnius plane crash: Investigation underway
The police chief, Arūnas Paulauskas, suggested that the accident could have been caused by technical issues or human error. However, he noted that "we cannot rule out the possibility of an act of terror." He also mentioned that the plane was destroyed, with its cargo scattered over a large area.
The NKVC has announced that an investigation into the causes of the disaster has begun, and all possible hypotheses will be thoroughly examined. It was emphasized that current information does not suggest there was an explosion aboard the plane before the crash.
In the wake of the disaster, take-offs from Vilnius airport were halted for two hours, resuming at approximately 6:30. Emergency services continued their work at the scene.
