"Cargo Plane Crash in Vilnius: Investigation Underway as One Fatality Reported

 A cargo plane operated by Swiftair on behalf of DHL crashed while landing at Vilnius Airport, Lithuania, early Monday morning, skidding into a house and claiming one life onboard. The accident occurred at approximately 0330 GMT. The flight, a Boeing 737-400, departed from Leipzig, Germany, at 0208 GMT. Upon its approach to Vilnius Airport, the aircraft crashed, splitting into pieces and sliding over 100 meters before colliding with a residential building.One of the four people onboard the plane was killed, while the other three sustained injuries. Fortunately, none of the 12 residents evacuated from the house were harmed.

Emergency responders extinguished the smoking wreckage and cordoned off the affected streets, located about 1.3 kilometers north of the airport runway.Lithuanian police and prosecutors have launched an investigation into the crash. Preliminary findings suggest no explosion preceded the incident. However, Darius Jauniskis, Lithuania’s counter-intelligence chief, stated that the possibility of terrorism cannot be ruled out, emphasizing that no conclusive evidence has been uncovered.

Germany is investigating incidents earlier this year involving incendiary devices found in parcels at a Leipzig warehouse. Similarly, British counter-terrorism police are probing a July warehouse fire linked to a package ignition. Security officials have suggested these incidents might be part of a larger Russian plot to target cargo flights.While the connection between these events and the Vilnius crash remains speculative, authorities across Europe are monitoring potential links.The plane's operator, Swiftair, and manufacturers DHL and Boeing, have yet to comment on the incident. The operator of Leipzig Airport, Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG, also declined to issue a statement.As investigations continue, the focus remains on determining the cause of the crash and ensuring the safety of air cargo operations across the region.