DHL cargo plane crashes into residential area near Vilnius Airport
Lithuanian rescuers work next to the wreckage of a cargo plane following its crash near the Vilnius International Airport in Vilnius on November 25, 2024. (AFP Photo)
A DHL cargo plane crashed into a two-story residential building near Vilnius Airport in Lithuania early Monday, killing one crew member and injuring four others, according to local authorities and public service broadcaster LRT.
DHL says plane made ’emergency landing’ in Lithuania
“We can confirm that today, at approximately 4:30 am CET, a Swiftair aircraft, operated by a service partner on behalf of DHL, performed an emergency landing about one kilometre from VNO Airport (Vilnius, Lithuania) while en route from LEJ Airport (Leipzig, Germany) to VNO Airport,” it said in a statement.
“A total of four people were on board. The status of the crew is still being clarified, but our thoughts are with them and their families. The cause of the incident is currently unknown, and an investigation is already underway.” statement concluded.
The crash occurred at 5.31 am (GMT0731), triggering a large fire. Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene and extinguished the blaze.
“The plane was due to land at Vilnius airport and crashed a few kilometres away,” Renatas Pozela, the head of the firefighting and emergency services unit said, adding that one person in the four-member crew died.
Residents of the building escaped unharmed, while the pilot also survived the crash without injury. However, the other three crew members aboard the plane were less fortunate.
One dead after DHL cargo plane crash
“Two have been taken to hospital, and one has been declared dead. These are the people who were on the plane, according to preliminary information,” Saulius Raševskis from the Lithuanian rescue service told LRT.
Vilmantas Vitkauskas, the head of National Crisis Management Centre, said all the people inside the house had been evacuated.
DHL official Ausra Rutkauskien confirmed the plane belonged to the company.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. It marks another troubling incident for DHL, which has faced operational disruptions this year.
In July, explosive devices at DHL logistics hubs in Germany and the UK sparked international investigations. The devices were believed to be part of a covert Russian operation targeting cargo and passenger flights destined for the US and Canada, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
