DHL cargo plane crash: Mystery deepens as probe continues
Lithuanian authorities are still investigating the circumstances of the DHL plane crash that occurred near Vilnius, with more footage of the incident appearing online.
On Monday morning, a DHL cargo plane flying from Leipzig to Vilnius crashed into a building. One person, a Spanish national, died, and three others, including a Spaniard, a German, and a Lithuanian, were injured. They were all members of the plane's crew.
The building the plane hit was located 0.8 miles from the airport. Residents managed to evacuate in time.
Media outlets have published footage from one of the cameras that captured the moment of the tragedy. It shows the plane descending perilously low before crashing into the building. The explosion's flash is so intense that the camera is temporarily blinded. However, soon after, dense plumes of smoke can be seen rising from the wreckage.
Investigating the cause of the crash
Mindaugas Pivorunas, the director of DHL Lithuania, stated that the cause of the Boeing 737-476(SF) crash is not yet known. A spokesperson for the Lithuanian National Crisis Management Centre suggested possible technical problems. However, it is known that the crew did not report any malfunctions.
The head of the Lithuanian police, Arunas Paulauskas, mentioned that the crash might have been due to a technical fault or human error, but terrorism has not been ruled out. "It is one of the possibilities that will be investigated," Paulauskas said.
Earlier this year, a self-igniting parcel from Lithuania caused a fire at the DHL logistics centre in Leipzig.
