A DHL cargo flight has crashed into a house as it approached Vilnius Airport in Lithuania, killing the pilot and injuring three crew members.
The plane had been travelling from the German city of Leipzig.
The crash follows reports in recent months that mysterious explosions had occurred at DHL warehouses in Leipzig and Birmingham amid fears of a Russian covert sabotage operation intended to explode aircraft flying in the West.
The incident happened at about 5.30am local time – 3.30am British time – near Zirniu Street, south of the Lithuanian capital.
An airport spokesperson said: ‘The city’s special services are working at the scene and leading the rescue efforts, as well as crews from the Vilnius Airport Fire Service.’
Lithuanian rescuers are seen working next to the wreckage of a cargo plane following its crash near the Vilnius International Airport in the country’s capital this morning
A medic was seen taking a photo at the scene of the crash which killed at least one person
The country’s public broadcaster LRT, quoting an emergency official, said the aircraft smashed into a two-story home near the airport.
Police commissioner Renatas Pozela said of the plane: ‘It fell a few kilometres before the airport. It just skidded for a few hundred metres – its debris somewhat caught a residential house.
‘Residential infrastructure around the house was on fire, and the house was slightly damaged, but we managed to evacuate people.’
The Lithuanian airport authority identified the aircraft as a ‘DHL cargo plane flying from Leipzig, Germany, to Vilnius Airport’.
It posted on the social platform X, formerly Twitter, that city services including a fire truck were on site.
The DHL aircraft, a 31-year-old Boeing 737, was operated by Swiftair, a Madrid-based contractor.
Weather at the airport was around freezing temperature, with clouds before sunrise and winds said to be at 30kph (18 mph).
Flight-tracking data from FlightRadar24, analysed by the Associated Press news agency, suggested the aircraft made a turn to the north of the airport.
A pilot of the plane heading to Vilnius airport is reported to have been killed in today’s crash
Three crew members were also said to be injured and 12 residents of a home evacuated
Smoke is seen billowing following this morning’s crash south of the Lithuanian capital
Lithuania’s public broadcaster LRT, quoting an emergency official, said the aircraft smashed into a two-story home near the capital Vilnius’s airport
The DHL aircraft, a 31-year-old Boeing 737, was operated by Madrid-based contractor Swiftair
The plane appeared to be lining up for landing, before crashing a little more than 1.5km, or one mile, short of the runway.
Western officials have previously this month expressed fears that Russia is behind plots to plant bombs on passenger planes flying to the US and Canada after electronic massagers exploded in a warehouse.
Two incendiary devices were shipped via a DHL logistics centre on July 22 to Birmingham, England, and Leipzig, Germany, resulting in a fire.
Four people were arrested in connection with the blaze and charged with participating in sabotage or terrorist operations on behalf of a foreign intelligence agency.
No injuries were reported, with the incident dealt with by staff and the local fire brigade.
But investigators believe there could have been far more serious consequences had the devices ignited while in flight.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow…
