Five crew members were on board; PAF aircraft, PN ATR take part in search operation
ISLAMABAD:
A cargo aircraft en route to Karachi from Sharjah reportedly disappeared over the Arabian Sea near Karachi after developing a technical fault, prompting a major search and rescue operation involving the Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Air Force and other agencies.
According to the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA), K2 Airways cargo flight KTA-1732 was flying from Sharjah to Karachi when, at 9:18pm on Tuesday, the pilot informed air traffic control of a malfunction in the aircraft’s navigation system and sought assistance.
The Karachi Area Control Centre immediately provided navigational guidance to the aircraft. However, just three minutes later, at 9:21pm, the aircraft was observed on radar making a rapid descent and changing its course before all radar and communication contact was lost approximately 155 nautical miles west of Karachi.
Initial reports indicate that the aircraft may have crashed into the Arabian Sea. Sources identified the missing aircraft as a Boeing 737-300 bearing registration AP-BOI. Five crew members were on board at the time of the incident.
Immediately after contact with the aircraft was lost, the Rescue Coordination Centre was activated and a search and rescue operation was launched with the assistance of multiple agencies.
Sources said the Pakistan Navy has dispatched the warship PNS Zulfiqar to the affected area to participate in the rescue operation.
A Pakistan Air Force Saab aircraft has also taken off from Bholari Air Base and joined the aerial search mission, while a Pakistan Navy ATR aircraft departed from Turbat and is also participating in the search operation.
In addition, the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) has deployed its merchant vessel Lahore to assist in the ongoing search and rescue efforts.
Authorities said the cause of the incident will be determined after a formal investigation, while the search for the missing aircraft and its five crew members remains underway.
