A major multi-agency search and rescue operation is underway in the Arabian Sea after a Boeing 737 cargo aircraft operated by K2 Airways vanished from radar while en route from Sharjah to Karachi. Five crew members were on board the missing flight.
According to reports citing the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA), air traffic controllers were first notified of a navigation system malfunction aboard the aircraft at 9:18 pm Pakistani Standard Time on Tuesday. Following the alert, the Karachi Area Control Center immediately initiated active monitoring and began guiding the vessel.
However, just three minutes later at 9:21 pm, radar systems recorded the aircraft making an abrupt change in direction alongside a rapid descent. Shortly thereafter, all radar tracking and radio communications were completely severed approximately 155 nautical miles west of Karachi.
Pakistani defense forces and civilian maritime agencies have launched a coordinated effort to locate the missing freighter. The Pakistan Navy has dispatched its frigate, PNS Zulfiquar, to the primary search area. Additionally, a Pakistan Navy ATR aircraft was deployed from Turbat, while the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation’s commercial vessel Lahore has also been diverted to assist in the operation.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of the system failure or descent, and search operations remain active across the target maritime zone.
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