KARACHI: The K2 Airways cargo plane wreckage has been located in the Arabian Sea, around 53 nautical miles south of Ormara, after an extensive search and rescue operation, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) confirmed on Wednesday.
Authorities said efforts are continuing to locate the five missing crew members who were on board the aircraft when it disappeared on Tuesday night.
According to the PAA, the Pakistan Navy and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) successfully identified the wreckage after more than 12 hours of coordinated aerial and maritime searches. Multiple naval vessels, aircraft, and rescue teams remain deployed at the crash site as investigators work to determine the cause of the accident.
The K2 Airways cargo plane, a Boeing 737-400 freighter registered as AP-BOI, was flying from Sharjah to Karachi when it lost contact with Karachi Air Traffic Control at approximately 9:21 pm Pakistan time. Before communication was lost, the aircraft reportedly experienced a navigational system issue and was being guided by air traffic controllers.
The airline confirmed that five crew members were on board, including Captain Muhammad Rizwan Idrees, First Officer Faisal Mehmood, Loadmaster Muhammad Toufique Khan, and engineers Arif Siddiqui and Muhammad Hamid. K2 Airways said it is fully cooperating with aviation authorities and expressed hope for the safe recovery of its crew.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the incident and extended condolences to the families of the missing crew members. He directed the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, Pakistan Navy, and Pakistan Air Force to use all available resources to strengthen the ongoing search and rescue operation in the Arabian Sea.
Flight tracking data indicated the aircraft experienced an abnormal and rapid descent before radar contact was lost about 155 nautical miles west of Karachi. Officials said the exact cause of the Ormara plane crash will only be determined after a detailed investigation.
The Pakistan Airports Authority said rescue efforts remain the top priority, while authorities continue searching the area for survivors and additional evidence that could help investigators understand the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident.
