Pakistan: Search continues for five missing crew members of crashed cargo plane

Karachi, Jul 9 (PTI) Pakistani search and rescue teams were on Thursday searching for the second consecutive day for the five crew members of the cargo plane that crashed into the Arabian Sea, 300 kilometres west of Karachi. The Boeing 737 cargo aircraft, operated by Karachi-based private airline K2 Airways, vanished from radar after it was seen descending rapidly and making a sudden change in direction during the flight from Sharjah to Karachi on Tuesday night. The wreckage of the aircraft was recovered from 53 nautical miles south of Ormara on the Balochistan coast on Wednesday. However, there was no sign of the missing five crew members, according to official sources. Official sources in the aviation industry said that the Pakistan Navy (PN) and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PSMA) were continuing efforts to locate the crew.  "No timeline can be given about the success of the search operation as it may take months and even years,” a source said. K2 Airways identified the missing crew as Capt. Muhammad Rizwan Idris, First Officer Faisal Jatoi, flight engineers Muhammad Hamid and Muhammad Arif Siddiqui, and aircraft loader Muhammad Taufiq Khan. "There are remote chances of the five crew members having survived the crash,” a Pakistan Airports Authority source said. Following the recovery of the wreckage, the relevant authorities have cordoned off the area and initiated further investigation and evidence-collection procedures. Officials said that investigations are underway to determine the cause of the crash. PTI SH ZH ZH