DHL Cargo Plane Crashes Near Vilnius Airport, Killing One and Injuring Two

DHL Cargo Plane Crashes Near Vilnius Airport, Killing One and Injuring Two

  • A DHL cargo plane crashed near Vilnius Airport on Nov. 25, killing one crew member and injuring two others
  • The Boeing 737-476(SF), operated by Swiftair, struck a house during landing, sparking a fire and forcing the evacuation of 12 residents
  • Authorities are investigating the cause, with preliminary theories pointing to technical faults or human error, though sabotage and terrorism have not been ruled out

A DHL cargo plane, operated by Swiftair, crashed early this morning near Vilnius Airport, leaving one crew member dead and two others injured, according to local authorities.

The Boeing 737-476(SF), en route from Leipzig, Germany, went down around 5:30 a.m. local time, just a few kilometers south of the runway.

Boeing 737 crash sparks investigation
Lithuania investigates deadly cargo plane crash. Photo credit: Alvera via Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

The crash caused the aircraft to hit a house and ignite a fire. Twelve residents from the damaged property were safely evacuated, officials reported.

Survivors and Ongoing Investigation

Three of the plane's four crew members survived the crash and are receiving medical treatment. Lithuanian authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the incident.

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Arunas Paulauskas, head of the Lithuanian Police, stated technical fault or human error was the most likely cause but noted that terrorism has not been ruled out at this stage.

Recent Incidents Raise Security Concerns

The crash comes months after two DHL shipments from Lithuania to Leipzig caught fire in a warehouse earlier this year.

Western security officials reportedly suspected possible sabotage by Moscow, as these fires could have led to catastrophic consequences had they occurred during a flight.

While there is no confirmed link between these past incidents and today’s crash, investigators are expected to examine all potential factors, including the possibility of foul play.

Arik Air Flight From Lagos Crash Lands

Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that an Arik Air aircraft en route to Asaba from Lagos on Wednesday, January 12, crash-landed at somewhere around the Delta state capital.

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DHL cargo plane crashes in Lithuania, killing one

AIT News reports that the ill-fated plane was boarded by not less than 25 passengers in the evening of Wednesday at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Basit Jamiu avatar

Basit Jamiu (Editor) Basit Jamiu is a journalist with more than five years of experience. He is a current affairs and politics editor at Legit.ng. He holds a bachelor's degree from Ekiti State University (2018). Basit previously worked as a staff writer at Ikeja Bird (2022), Associate Editor at Prime Progress (2022), and Staff Writer at The Movee (2018). He is a 2024 Open Climate Fellow (West Africa), 2023 MTN Media Fellow, OCRP Fellow at ICIR, and Accountability Fellow at CJID. Email: basit.jamiu@corp.legit.ng.

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