Pakistan Launches Search After Cargo Plane Vanishes at Sea

Pakistan has launched a search for a Boeing 737 cargo plane that vanished over the Arabian Sea after losing contact with air traffic control while approaching Karachi. Pakistani military and aviation authorities deployed aircraft and a naval vessel on Wednesday to locate the Pakistan-registered aircraft, which was flying from Sharjah in the UAE to Karachi on Tuesday night. The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority said the crew reported a navigation issue shortly after 9 p.m. local time, followed by a steep descent three minutes later, after which the plane disappeared, according to flight-tracking data. K2 Airways, the Karachi-based operator, said five crew members were onboard. Data from Flightradar24 shows altitude changes and then a sharp vertical plunge near Karachi, with the last point at 1,100 feet and descending at 22,400 feet per minute. The cause and crew fate were still unknown as of Wednesday morning, and the search reflects a recent history of major incidents in Pakistan.