Tragedy in Lithuania: Cargo Plane Crash Near Vilnius Airport Claims One Life, Three Injured.
In a shocking incident, a cargo plane operated by the Spanish airline Swiftair on behalf of DHL crashed near Vilnius airport in Lithuania, resulting in the loss of one life and leaving three others injured.
The Boeing 737 aircraft, which had departed from DHL’s hub in Leipzig, Germany, was on its final approach to land at Vilnius airport when the accident occurred in the early hours of Monday morning. According to the authorities, the plane crashed near a house, approximately 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles) north of the airport runway.
While the exact cause of the crash remains unknown, the Lithuanian authorities have launched an immediate investigation to determine the underlying factors. Firefighters were promptly dispatched to the site, where they were seen battling the smoke emanating from a nearby building.
Fortunately, all 12 people who were in the vicinity of the crash site have been safely evacuated, and the authorities have confirmed that all those on board the ill-fated flight have been accounted for. However, the tragedy has left one member of the four-person crew dead, with three others sustaining injuries.
The Lithuanian head of the firefighting and emergency services unit, Renatas Pozela, reported that the plane was destined for Vilnius airport but ultimately crashed a few kilometers away from its intended destination.
He also revealed that a nearby house suffered “slight” damage, and the infrastructure in the vicinity caught fire, but all residents were successfully evacuated.
The plane involved in the incident was a 31-year-old Boeing 737-400, and the weather conditions at the time of the crash were reported to be overcast, with temperatures around 0°C (32°F) and winds reaching approximately 30 km/h (19 mph).
