The Pakistan Navy and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) have successfully located and identified the wreckage of a missing K2 Airways cargo plane in the deep sea. The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) confirmed on Wednesday that the debris was discovered approximately 53 nautical miles south of the Ormara coast in Balochistan following a 12-hour intensive search and rescue operation after the aircraft went missing on Tuesday.
While the identification of the wreckage provides a crucial breakthrough, the search for the five missing crew members continues as a top priority. Naval and aerial assets, including the warship PNS Zulfiqar and a Pakistan Air Force Saab surveillance aircraft, are currently combing the area to locate the crew and recover flight data evidence.
The missing personnel have been identified as pilot Muhammad Rizwan Idris, first officer Faisal Mehmood, loadmaster Muhammad Taufiq, engineer Arif Siddiqui, and Muhammad Hamid.
The Boeing 737-400 cargo aircraft, registered as AP-BOI, vanished late Tuesday while operating a flight from Sharjah to Karachi. Flight tracking data indicates that the aircraft was cruising at 35,000 feet when it encountered unexpected circumstances, performing a sharp U-turn before entering a rapid descent.
Within five minutes, the aircraft plunged to 1,100 feet and slowed significantly before disappearing from radar. Notably, no Mayday distress call was transmitted, suggesting that the emergency unfolded with extreme speed.
In response to the tragedy, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the Civil Aviation Authority, the Navy, and the Air Force to intensify rescue efforts, while President Asif Ali Zardari has extended condolences to the families of the crew.
As the investigation deepens, authorities have sealed the company’s office at Jinnah International Airport to secure all flight records while rescue operations continue in the Arabian Sea.
