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A DHL cargo plane crashed on approach to an airport in Lithuania’s capital and skidded into a house Monday morning, killing a Spanish crew member, officials said. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
A surveillance video from a nearby company showed the plane descending normally as it approached the airport, and then exploding into a huge ball of fire behind a building. The moment of impact could not be seen in the video.
The head of the country’s firefighting service said that the plane skidded a few hundred meters (yards), and photos showed smoke rising from a damaged structure in an area of barren trees.
“Thankfully, despite the crash occurring in a residential area, no lives have been lost among the local population”, Prime Minister Ingrida imonyt said after meeting with rescue officials.
Rescue workers sealed off the area, and fragments of the plane in the company’s trademark yellow color could be seen amid wreckage scattered across the crash site.
The cargo aircraft was carrying four people when it crashed at 5:30 a.m. local time. One person, a Spanish citizen, was declared dead and the other three crew members – who were Spanish, German and Lithuanian citizens – were injured, said Ramnas Matonis, the head of communications for Lithuanian police in an email.
