- Safiu Kehinde
A DHL cargo plane has crashed near Vilnius airport, Lithuania on Monday, at about 3.30 a.m GMT (10.30 p.m ET).
This was confirmed by Lithuanian police spokespersons.
According to an air traffic monitoring outlet, Flightradar24, the Swiftair 737-400, built in 1993 and powered by two CFM56 engines, operated for DHL reportedly crashed in a residential area short of the runway while attempting to land in Vilnius this morning at approximately 03:30 UTC.
The aircraft registered EC-MFE, had departed Leipzig, Germany at 02:08 UTC.
It was converted to cargo configuration and acquired by Swiftair in 2015.
Though yet to be verified by officials, one death casualty has been recorded while two injured in the wake of the DHL cargo plane crash into residential building in Liepkalnis, Lithuania.
Local media eports indicate a fire is spreading rapidly throughout the village.
The pilot of the ill-fated flight was reported to have been freed from the cockpit.
Meanwhile, the Russian military intelligence (GRU) has been accused of orchestrating a sabotage plot involving parcel bombs designed to detonate aboard transatlantic DHL flights, Lithuanian officials revealed.
According to reports, explosive devices disguised as massage machines were discovered in warehouses in Germany and the UK, potentially capable of causing catastrophic in-flight crashes.
Polish authorities have arrested several suspects linked to the scheme, with international warrants issued for others.
NATO and European agencies are also on high alert for Russian sabotage.