(Photo credit: Lukas Balandis/BNS)
A DHL cargo plane crashed near Vilnius Airport, Lithuania, on Monday morning, killing one and injuring three others, one critically. Flames engulfed the wreckage as firefighters battled the blaze. Lithuanian officials reported no initial signs of sabotage, but Germany is investigating potential links to earlier fires involving incendiary devices in DHL parcels.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock noted the crash occurred in “volatile times,” referencing recent incidents like severed fiber-optic cables in the Baltic Sea. German and Lithuanian authorities are working closely to determine the cause.
The Boeing 737-400, operated by Swiftair for DHL, departed Leipzig, Germany, at 0208 GMT and crashed at 0330 GMT. Lithuanian officials said pilots reported no issues before impact. Investigators are analyzing the aircraft’s black boxes, and a U.S. team will assist with the probe.
A Vilnius resident described seeing sparks or flames from the plane’s right side before it crashed. Security footage showed the aircraft breaking apart on impact, scattering debris over 100 meters and damaging a house, whose residents were evacuated.
Lithuanian counter-intelligence hasn’t ruled out terrorism but lacks evidence. DHL, conducting its own inquiry, confirmed the plane carried standard parcels, with no signs of suspicious cargo. The 31-year-old aircraft’s crash remains under investigation by multiple authorities.