DHL Cargo Plane Crash in Lithuania Results in Death of Spanish Crew Member

A DHL cargo plane crashed while approaching an airport in Lithuania's capital, skidding into a house and killing a Spanish crew member. No one on the ground was harmed. The incident is under investigation. Surveillance footage showed the plane descending normally before it exploded into flames behind a building. The exact moment of impact wasn't visible in the video.

The Lithuanian authorities are considering various possibilities, including potential Russian involvement, though no evidence currently supports this theory. "Without a doubt, we cannot rule out the terrorism version," stated Darius Jauniskis, head of Lithuanian intelligence. Western security officials suspect Russian intelligence may be conducting sabotage against nations supporting Ukraine.

Investigation and International Response

The German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation is sending experts to assist with the investigation. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, attending a meeting in Italy, expressed sympathy for the victims and mentioned that a hybrid attack couldn't be ruled out. She referred to recent damage to data cables under the Baltic Sea as potential sabotage.

The Lithuanian airport authority identified the aircraft as a DHL cargo plane arriving from Leipzig, Germany. One injured crew member was German. The plane was operated by Swiftair, a contractor based in Madrid. DHL confirmed the plane "made a forced landing" about a kilometre from Vilnius airport and stated that the cause remains unknown.

Crash Details and Local Impact

The crash occurred at 5:30 a.m., with four crew members aboard: Spanish, German, and Lithuanian citizens. One Spanish crew member died, while others were injured. The plane skidded several hundred metres, causing smoke to rise from a damaged structure in an area with barren trees.

Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte noted that despite the crash in a residential area, no local lives were lost. Rescue teams secured the site, where debris from the yellow DHL plane was scattered. Renatas Požela, chief of the Fire and Rescue Department, said residential infrastructure was on fire but people were evacuated safely.

Eyewitness Svaja described seeing a bright light and hearing an explosion followed by black smoke. "I saw a fireball," she said. "My first thought is that a world war has begun." Lithuanian Defence Minister Laurynas Kasciunas stated there were no external factors damaging the plane but emphasized interviewing surviving crew members and analyzing the black box for answers.

FlightRadar24 data showed the aircraft turned north of the airport before crashing over 1.5 kilometres short of the runway. Weather conditions included freezing temperatures, clouds before sunrise, and winds around 30 kph.

The Boeing 737 involved was 31 years old, considered an older model for cargo flights but not unusual. Prime Minister Simonyte urged against speculation, emphasizing trust in investigators to uncover the incident's true causes without resorting to guesswork or assumptions.