PAKISTANI civilian and naval search teams have recovered the wreckage of a cargo aircraft that disappeared while approaching the southern port city of Karachi, as efforts continue to locate the five crew members who remain missing.
The aircraft, operated by private carrier K2 Airways, had departed from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates before reporting a navigational system problem shortly before losing contact with air traffic control late on Tuesday.
According to the Pakistan Airports Authority, search aircraft and naval vessels located the wreckage in the Arabian Sea after approximately 12 hours of search operations.
The recovery operation is continuing as authorities intensify efforts to locate the missing crew.
Officials involved in the operation said the search has been complicated by the vast search area in the Arabian Sea and rough monsoon conditions, which have significantly hampered rescue efforts.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his condolences to the families of the missing crew and directed all relevant government agencies to deploy every available resource to support the ongoing search operation.
In a statement, K2 Airways identified the missing crew as Captain Muhammad Rizwan Idris, First Officer Faisal Jatoi, flight engineers Muhammad Hamid and Muhammad Arif Siddiqui, and aircraft loader Muhammad Taufiq Khan.
"We continue to pray earnestly for the safety of our colleagues," the airline said.
Earlier, the Pakistan Airports Authority said radar data indicated the aircraft made a sudden change in heading before descending rapidly. Radar and radio communications were lost at approximately 9.21pm, around 155 nautical miles west of Karachi.
Aviation analyst Imran Aslam said the circumstances surrounding the disappearance remain unclear.
He noted that even in the event of an engine failure, an aircraft would normally continue gliding rather than descend abruptly, adding that investigators would need further evidence before determining the cause of the accident.
The latest incident recalls one of Pakistan's worst recent aviation disasters, when a Pakistan International Airlines passenger aircraft crashed into a densely populated residential area while attempting to land at Karachi in May 2020.
The crash claimed the lives of 98 of the 99 people on board, with a subsequent government investigation concluding that human error involving both the flight crew and air traffic controllers had caused the accident. - July 9, 2026
