DHL Cargo Plane from Germany Crashes in Lithuania, Killing Resident and Injuring Others

A tragic incident occurred in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Monday, November 25, 2024, when a DHL cargo plane crashed near a residential area, resulting in at least one death and two injuries.

The plane, operated by Swiftair for DHL, was en route from Leipzig, Germany, to Vilnius Airport when it went down in the Liepkalnis municipality around 5:30 a.m. local time.

Reports indicate that there were four people aboard, including two pilots and two DHL employees. One pilot was killed in the crash, while the second pilot and the two crew members were rescued with signs of life. The crash also caused a fire at the scene, but fortunately, the residents of the affected house survived, and a dozen people were evacuated.

Despite the crash, operations at Vilnius Airport were not impacted.

“City services are currently on-site, along with a fire truck and a command team from Vilnius Airport,” the Lithuanian airport authority posted on X (formerly Twitter). “Airport operations are not disrupted at this time.”

Renatas Pozela, spokesperson for the Fire Protection and Rescue Department, expressed relief that the plane did not directly hit the house but instead struck the yard.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.