Wreckage of Missing Cargo Plane Found in Arabian Sea; Search for Crew Continues
Islamabad: The wreckage of a private cargo aircraft that went missing over the Arabian Sea has been found approximately 53 nautical miles south of the Ormara coast, according to official sources.
The debris was located after a search operation lasting more than 12 hours, carried out jointly by the Pakistan Navy and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA). Rescue teams continue to search the area for additional evidence and the five crew members who were on board.
Naval ships and aircraft remain engaged in the ongoing search and recovery mission.
The cargo aircraft disappeared from radar on Thursday night while flying over the Arabian Sea near Ormara, about 155 miles west of Karachi. The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) had earlier confirmed that the aircraft had gone missing.
The aircraft took off at 7:12 p.m. and was scheduled to land in Karachi at 9:20 p.m. It reportedly disappeared while cruising at an altitude of 34,000 feet.
According to preliminary reports, the five crew members aboard were Captain Muhammad Rizwan Idris, First Officer Faisal Mahmood Jatoi, Loadmaster Muhammad Toufiq Khan, Aircraft Engineer Muhammad Hamid, and Aircraft Engineer Muhammad Arif Siddiqui.
The aircraft, identified as Flight KTA1732, a Boeing 737-400 registered as AP-BOI, was returning from Sharjah to Karachi after undergoing scheduled maintenance. Rescue operations remain underway to locate the missing crew.
