Pakistani rescue teams battled harsh sea conditions to recover parts of a Boeing cargo plane that crashed into the Arabian Sea.
Five crew members of the K2 Airways Boeing 737 cargo plane remain missing.
The Pakistan Airports Authority shared data showing the plane descended quickly before radar and radio contact was lost at 9:21 pm local time on Tuesday, about 155 nautical miles (290 kilometers) west of Karachi.
The plane was en route to Karachi from the UAE.
Pakistan Navy salvage crews and civilian units are collecting debris from the crash site. (Reuters: Pakistan Airports Authority via Facebook)
K2 Airways identified the missing crew as Captain Muhammad Rizwan Idris, First Officer Faisal Jatoi, flight engineers Muhammad Hameed and Muhammad Arif Siddiqui, and the aircraft’s baggage handler Muhammad Taufiq Khan.
“We continue to pray sincerely for the safety of our colleagues,” the airline said in a statement.
Retired Pakistani Rear Admiral Faisal Shah said searchers faced rough seas and that they were still searching for the bulk of the wreckage, which could be 3,000 meters below the surface.
He said ocean currents, waves and wind could carry floating debris far from where the plane crashed.
The search operation continues. (Reuters: Pakistan Airports Authority via Facebook)
In May 2020, a Pakistan International Airlines plane carrying 98 people crashed into a densely populated area near Karachi airport while attempting to land.
All but one of the 99 people on board were killed.
A government investigation later concluded that the crash was caused by errors by pilots and air traffic controllers.
Reuters/ABC