Cargo plane crashes near Vilnius Airport; one dead

Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Center, reported that "one crew member was found without any signs of life." He stated that it is too early to determine the cause of the crash as investigations are ongoing.

Two surviving crew members were hospitalized following the crash. Authorities confirmed that all four individuals on board have been accounted for and no injuries were reported among local residents.

The accident took place around 5:30 a.m. local time near Zirniu Street, south of Vilnius. Emergency response teams from Vilnius Airport and city services quickly arrived at the scene.

An audio recording between the cockpit and control tower indicated routine communication prior to the crash. Aviation expert Vidas Kaupelis noted that "the pilots did not declare any danger" during their descent.

Kaupelis suggested technical problems could be responsible for the crash but mentioned an explosion or onboard fire seemed unlikely. A terrorist attack has not been ruled out either.

Vilnius Airport faced delays in departures due to rescue efforts but resumed operations around 7:20 a.m., according to airport notifications.

DHL described the incident as a “forced landing” in a statement to CNN and mentioned that "the status of the crew is still being clarified." The logistics company awaits further investigation results to determine what led to this tragic event.

Mayor Valdas Benkunskas commented on how narrowly disaster was avoided as initial reports suggest no explosion occurred before impact. Arūnas Paulauskas from Lithuanian Police said technical fault or human error might be involved while noting terrorism cannot be excluded without thorough investigation.