Lithuania Investigates Possible Terrorism Link in DHL Cargo Plane Crash

Vilnius, Lithuania – Lithuanian authorities have not ruled out the possibility of terrorism in the crash of a DHL cargo plane that struck a residential building while attempting to land in Vilnius on Monday morning, November 25, 2024. The incident resulted in one fatality and left three others injured, prompting an investigation by local police and prosecutors.

According to the National Crisis Management Agency of Lithuania, officials have not found any evidence suggesting an explosion occurred prior to the crash. Spokesperson for the agency stated, "At this time, we do not have data indicating that an explosion took place."

Darius Jauniskis, the head of Lithuania’s counterintelligence, emphasized that while the investigation is ongoing, authorities cannot confirm whether the incident was purely accidental. “We cannot rule out the possibility of terrorism... However, we cannot attribute blame to any particular group at this moment, as we lack the necessary information,” Jauniskis remarked, according to a report from Reuters.

The ill-fated flight, operated by Swiftair on behalf of DHL, departed from Leipzig, Germany, and was approaching Vilnius when the crash occurred around 03:30 GMT. Eyewitness reports and media coverage indicated that an explosion was heard at the time of the crash, but officials maintain that there is currently no evidence supporting this theory.

Firefighters responded to the crash and were seen spraying water on the smoke-emitting building approximately 1.3 kilometers north of the airport runway. Several main roads around the area were closed to facilitate emergency operations.

In addition to the fatalities and injuries, first responders reported that at least 12 residents were evacuated from the impacted home, with all individuals successfully brought to safety.

As the investigation unfolds, Lithuanian officials are working diligently to ascertain the circumstances surrounding this tragic event, looking at all possible angles—including the potential for foul play.