A cargo plane flying from Germany crashed early Monday morning near Vilnius Airport, Lithuania’s capital. The aircraft struck a residential building, prompting an investigation by the Crisis Management Center into the cause of the accident. According to an official statement, there is currently no evidence suggesting an onboard explosion.
The plane, operated by SWIFT on behalf of DHL, was en route from Leipzig, Germany, to Vilnius when it crashed during its approach to land. Lithuanian news portal Delfi reported that the aircraft had four people on board: two pilots and two DHL employees.
“There were no casualties among the residents of the building. Regarding the four-person crew, one individual was killed, two were transported to the hospital, and one remains unaccounted for,” said Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Center.
Delfi sources confirmed the plane was completely destroyed upon impact. The crash occurred a few kilometers from the airport and caused significant damage to a two-story residential building, which caught fire after the collision.
According to local police, the building housed three families. Firefighters evacuated 12 residents, none of whom sustained injuries. Emergency services, including police officers and rescue teams, are actively working at the crash site, which has been cordoned off. Several major roads in the area are also closed to traffic as investigations and recovery efforts continue.