DHL cargo plane crashes in Lithuania, killing 1, local officials say

(LONDON and BELGRADE) — A DHL cargo plane crashed near the Lithuanian capital early on Monday, killing one of four people onboard, local officials said.

The plane, which had been traveling from Leipzig, Germany, crashed in Liepkalnis, on the outskirts of the capital, Vilnius, the Lithuanian airport authority said in a statement posted on social media. The flight had been expected to land at Vilnius Airport, officials said.

“City services are currently on-site, along with a fire truck and a command team from Vilnius Airport,” the short statement said. “Airport operations are not disrupted at this time.”

The jet was a Boeing 737-476 operated by Swiftair, according to Flightradar24, an aircraft tracker.

Emergency responders were notified at 5:28 a.m. that the plane had crashed near to a building, the Vilnius Fire and Rescue Department said. Photos and videos taken near the crash site appeared to show a residential area.

First responders reached the crash location, which is a little more than half a mile from the airport, within about 6 minutes, according to Bozena Jerenkovic, a medical doctor who was part of the emergency team on site.

One of the pilots was pronounced dead at the scene and the other was transferred to a local hospital in critical condition, Jerenkovic told ABC News. It appeared that the cockpit had been separated from the plane’s fuselage, she added.

Thirteen people were evacuated from a nearby building without injuries, she said.

As emergency crews worked in the area near Žirnių Street, which the airport identified as the crash site, departures were delayed at Vilnius Airport, according to a statement.

One incoming flight was diverted to Riga, Latvia, officials said. Air traffic resumed by about 7:20 a.m., the statement said.

ABC News has contacted DHL, which is based in Bonn, Germany, for comment.

ABC News’ Jessica Gorman and Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.

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