DHL cargo plane crashes into homes near airport in Lithuania, killing one person on board

Searches continuing for missing crew member following crash

Wreckage of a cargo plane in the courtyard of a house following the crash. Photograph: Petras Malukas/ AFP via Getty
Wreckage of a cargo plane in the courtyard of a house following the crash. Photograph: Petras Malukas/ AFP via Getty

A DHL cargo plane crashed into homes near an airport in Vilnius, Lithuania, killing one person on board and sparking a fire, officials said.

The plane had taken off in Leipzig, Germany, and it crashed just outside Vilnius Airport about 5.30am, the airport said in a statement.

One of the four people on board was killed, Tadas Vasiliauskas, a spokesperson for Lithuanian Airports, which manages Vilnius Airport, said in a brief phone interview. The three others on board are being treated for their injuries.

The DHL plane, operated by Swiftair, an airline based in Spain, crashed just before it was set to land, Vasiliauskas said. It fell into homes and sparked a fire, he added. A dozen residents have been evacuated, with none injured seriously.

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A representative for DHL did not respond to a request for information about the crash. – The New York Times