A cargo plane flying on behalf of German logistics company DHL crashed near Vilnius International Airport in Lithuania early on Monday, killing at least one person, according to Lithuanian officials.
The deceased person was confirmed by Lithuanian police to be a Spanish national and member of the flight crew, although not one of the pilots.
The other occupants of the plane – a German, a Lithuanian and another Spaniard – were reportedly injured, but their condition remained unclear.
A spokesperson for DHL Lithuania told the Reuters news agency that the company has opened an investigation, adding:
“We do not have any information that any of the parcels onboard the crashed cargo plane were suspicious.”
German investigators also said they were “in close contact with the involved parties at home and abroad in order to clarify the issue as soon as possible.”
What do we know so far about the DHL crash?
The plane, operated by Swiftair, had originated in the German city of Leipzig, which is a hub for DHL.
“It fell a few kilometers before the airport, it just skidded for a few hundred meters, its debris somewhat caught a residential house,” Renatas Pozela, the head of the Lithuanian rescue service said.
“Residential infrastructure around the house was on fire, and the house was slightly damaged, but we managed to evacuate people,” he added.
Twelve residents were evacuated from the building, as per officials.
Earlier reports said that the aircraft had crashed into a residential building.
Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas said the plane missed the house “by chance” and crashed into the courtyard.
Cause of the crash still unknown, terrorism not being ruled out
The cause of the crash was not immediately known, but Lithuania’s police chief is not ruling out terrorism as a motive.
“This is one of the versions that needs to be investigated and verified. There is still much work ahead of us,” chief of police, Arunas Paulauskas, said at a press briefing.
“These answers will not come so quickly,” he added, saying that the crime scene probe, evidence collection, and gathering of information and objects could take an entire week.
According to data from rescue services, emergency crews were alerted about the crash at 5:28 am (0428 CET).
“City services are currently onsite, along with a fire truck and a command team from Vilnius Airport,” the Lithuanian airport authority posted on X. “Airport operations are not disrupted at this time.”
dvv/wd (Reuters, dpa, AP)