At least one dead after DHL cargo plane crashes into house in Lithuania

One person has been killed and three people left injured when a DHL cargo plane crashed into a house in Lithuania this morning. 

A Spanish crew member died after the aircraft smashed into a two-storey house near Vilnius Airport around 5.30am local time (3.30am UK time).

Three other crew members - who were Spanish, German and Lithuanian - survived, as did the residents in the house.

The cargo plane, which was operated by Madrid-based contractor Swiftair, was flying from Leipzig in Germany, the Lithuanian airport authority said.

Flight-tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed the aircraft made a turn to the north of the airport, lining up for landing, before crashing about a mile short of the runway.

A senior official in Lithuania's police said investigators were considering possible causes including technical failure and human error, and have not ruled out the possibility of a terrorist act.

A large police and ambulance presence was seen nearby, and several nearby major streets were cordoned off.

Lithuania's Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte cautioned against speculation, saying investigators needed time to do their job.

"The responsible agencies are working diligently. I urge everyone to have confidence in the investigating authorities' ability to conduct a thorough and professional investigation within an optimal timeframe," she said.

"Only these investigations will uncover the true causes of the incident - speculation and guesswork will not help establish the truth."

The head of the country's police, Renatas Pozela, said: "It fell a few kilometres before the airport, it just skidded for a few hundred metres, its debris somewhat caught a residential house.

"Residential infrastructure around the house was on fire, and the house was slightly damaged, but we managed to evacuate people," he said.

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Weather at Vilnius International Airport was around freezing temperature, with clouds before sunrise and winds of around 18mph.

The Boeing 737 was 31 years old and considered by experts to be an older airframe - though that is not unusual for cargo flights.

DHL Group, headquartered in Bonn, Germany, did not immediately return a call for comment. Swiftair also could not be immediately reached.

(c) Sky News 2024: At least one dead after DHL cargo plane crashes into house in Lithuania