An aircraft flying from Leipzig on behalf of the DHL logistics firm crashed near the Vilnius airport, killing at least one person and wounding three, the BNS news agency reported, citing an emergency services spokeswoman.
Initial reports indicated there were four people on the plane and all the reported casualties came from the aircraft. The injured three have been taken to hospital.
Early reporting said the plane had crashed into a residential building, but later the head of the National Crisis Management Centre told Lithuanian radio that the cargo plane crashed next to a residential building.
Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas said the aircraft missed the house “by chance” and crashed into the courtyard. Following the incident, a fire broke out, and 12 residents were evacuated from the building.
Investigations are underway to determine whether the crash was due to “technical problems,” the head of the National Crisis Management Centre said, adding it is too early to say anything more precise.
Many of the plane’s parts were scattered, reported a Lithuanian radio journalist from the accident scene in the Liepkalnis district. There are only a few houses in the area and it is not densely populated, he said.
Numerous emergency service vehicles and personnel are at the location, which is about 4 kilometres from the Lithuanian capital’s airport.
Preliminary data from the rescue service indicates that emergency crews were informed at 5:28 am (0328 GMT) that a cargo plane had crashed into a building. It is said to be a two-storey residential house that is on fire.
The head of the Lithuanian DHL subsidiary confirmed to Lithuanian radio that the plane belonged to a contractor of the company.
Germany had issued warning to logistics firms
At the end of August, German security authorities started warning about “unconventional incendiary devices” being sent by unknown individuals using parcel service providers. At the time, Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, known by its German acronym BfV, and the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) issued a corresponding alert to companies in the aviation and logistics sector.
