KARACHI, July 8 (Alliance News): A cargo aircraft travelling from Sharjah to Karachi crashed into the Arabian Sea after losing contact with air traffic control late Tuesday, with five crew members on board feared dead as Pakistani authorities launched a search and rescue operation.
According to aviation authorities, the K2 Airways Boeing 737 cargo aircraft disappeared from radar after reporting a navigation system problem while approaching Karachi. Flight tracking data indicated the aircraft experienced a rapid loss of altitude, briefly regained height and then descended sharply before crashing into the sea.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, extending his condolences to the families of the five crew members. In a statement, he directed authorities to continue search and rescue efforts and prayed for the victims.
K2 Airways confirmed that communication with the aircraft was lost at approximately 9:21 p.m. Pakistan time, adding that emergency response agencies were conducting search operations in the crash area.
The airline identified the crew members as Captain Mohammad Rizwan Idrees, First Officer Faisal Mehmood, Load Master Muhammad Toufique Khan, and Aircraft Engineers Arif Siddiqui and Mohammad Hamid.
K2 Airways, a Karachi-based private cargo airline established in 2018, has been operating regional cargo services across Pakistan and the Gulf. The Boeing 737 involved in the accident entered the airline’s fleet in 2024 after previously serving with several international carriers before being converted into a freighter.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, while rescue teams continued searching the waters of the Arabian Sea for the aircraft and its crew.