A cargo aircraft travelling from the United Arab Emirates to Pakistan crashed into the Arabian Sea after losing contact with air traffic control, prompting a major search and rescue operation.
The K2 Airways cargo plane had departed from Sharjah and was en route to Karachi when it disappeared from radar on Tuesday night.
According to Pakistan’s aviation authorities, communication with the Boeing 737 cargo aircraft was lost after the crew reported a navigation system problem.
Flight tracking data indicated the aircraft experienced a rapid loss of altitude, followed by a brief climb before descending sharply again, suggesting it crashed into the sea off Pakistan’s coast.
K2 Airways confirmed in a statement that the aircraft lost contact with air traffic control at approximately 9:21 p.m. Pakistan time.
“Search and rescue operations are being conducted by the concerned organisations,” the airline said.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his condolences following the tragedy.
In a statement released by the government, the prime minister said he was deeply saddened by the incident and extended his sympathies to the families of the crew members.
“The Prime Minister has extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the five crew members aboard the aircraft,” the statement said.
K2 Airways also released the identities of those on board:
- Captain Mohammad Rizwan Idrees (Pilot)
- Faisal Mehmood (First Officer)
- Muhammad Toufique Khan (Load Master)
- Arif Siddiqui (Engineer)
- Mohammad Hamid (Engineer)
Search and rescue teams continue to search the crash site in the Arabian Sea as authorities investigate what caused the aircraft to lose contact before going down.
Officials have not yet confirmed whether any wreckage or survivors have been located.
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