A DHL cargo plane traveling from Germany to Lithuania crashed early Monday near Vilnius International Airport, resulting in the death of one crew member, according to local firefighting authorities
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“The plane was due to land at Vilnius Airport and crashed a few kilometers away,” said Renatas Pozela, head of the firefighting and emergency services unit. He confirmed that one person from the four-member crew lost their life in the incident.
The crash also caused a house to catch fire under unclear circumstances. Fortunately, all occupants of the house were evacuated safely, according to Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Centre.
The aircraft has been confirmed as belonging to DHL, according to Ausra Rutkauskien, a company representative.
DHL Responds to the Crash
German logistics giant DHL released a statement on Monday, describing the event as an “emergency landing” involving a cargo plane operated by its partner SwiftAir.
“At approximately 4:30 am CET, a SwiftAir aircraft operating on behalf of DHL made an emergency landing about one kilometer from Vilnius Airport while en route from Leipzig, Germany,” the company stated.
The statement confirmed that four people were onboard the aircraft. “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 underway,” DHL added.
