Pakistani authorities have launched a major search and rescue operation after a Boeing 737 cargo plane disappeared over the Arabian Sea while flying from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates to Karachi, Pakistan. The aircraft, operated by K2 Airways, was carrying five crew members.
According to aviation officials, the pilots reported a navigational system problem shortly before the aircraft lost radio and radar contact at about 9:21 p.m. local time, around 155 nautical miles west of Karachi. Flight tracking data showed the aircraft making unusual altitude changes before disappearing from radar.
Pakistan's Navy, Air Force, and other emergency agencies have deployed ships and aircraft to search the area where the plane is believed to have gone missing. Merchant vessels sailing nearby have also been asked to assist, although rough monsoon weather has complicated rescue efforts.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to use all available resources in the search and expressed sympathy to the families of the five crew members. Officials have not yet confirmed whether the aircraft crashed or what caused it to disappear, and the investigation is expected to continue as rescue teams search the waters off Pakistan's southern coast.