Cargo Plane Flying from Sharjah to Karachi Goes Missing

(Digital Itla) A private cargo plane flying from Sharjah to Karachi has gone missing, and a search operation has been launched. A spokesperson for the Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA) stated that contact with the private cargo plane was lost approximately 155 nautical miles west of Karachi, following which a search and rescue operation was initiated in the sea. There were 5 crew members on board the cargo plane.

According to the PAA, the K2 Airways Boeing 737 cargo plane experienced a navigational system failure. The Karachi Area Control Centre provided immediate guidance, but a few minutes later, the aircraft began to descend rapidly, suddenly changed direction, and then communication was lost. The spokesperson added that the Rescue Coordination Centre was activated immediately following the incident.

According to the latest updates, the PAA stated that the accident-hit cargo plane disappeared from the radar at 9:21 PM Pakistani time. Sources indicate that the Pakistan Navy's warship PNS Zulfiquar has been dispatched to the affected area, and a Pakistan Air Force Saab aircraft from Bholari has also been mobilized for the search operation.

According to sources, a Pakistan Navy ATR aircraft also took off from Turbat to join the search efforts, and PNSC's commercial vessel MV Lahore has also been deployed for the search and rescue operation. The aircraft crashed into the sea near Ormara, about 300 kilometers away from Karachi, where search and rescue operations are ongoing. The aircraft was being flown by Captain Rizwan Idrees and First Officer Faisal Mahmood. Other crew members included Engineer Muhammad Hamid, Arif Siddique, and Loadmaster Taufiq Khan. PAA officials noted that the aircraft had departed Karachi for Sharjah on June 28 for mechanical work due to a technical fault, and it was returning from Sharjah as a ferry flight without cargo when contact with the control tower was suddenly lost.