Cargo plane crashes into sea: 1 dead, 2 missing

A private cargo aircraft crashed into the sea after taking off from the Cox's Bazar airport on Wednesday morning killing its flight engineer.

The accident happened at the Nazirar Tek Point, five kilometres off the beach town, of the sea at around 9:40am.

The pilot and co-pilot of the aircraft have been missing till now after the incident while its navigator was whisked off to the Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital after rescuing him with critical condition.

Cox’s Bazar airport’s Manager Shadhan Kumar Mohanto said that the Jessore-bound aircraft was carrying shrimp.

The Russian-owned True Aviation Limited’s aircraft took off from Cox’s Bazar airport this morning, he said adding that pilot, co-pilot and the two persons were on board.

Cox's Bazar Fire Service Operation Officer Abdul Majid said the two were rescued around 10:00am with the help of the fishermen and were sent to the Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital immediately.

One of the rescued died moments after bringing them at the hospital while another is undergoing treatment with critical condition, said Dr. Ratan Chowdhury, Superintendent of Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital.

All of the four on board of the aircraft are Ukrainian citizens, said Mohammad Aslam Hossein, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Cox’s Bazar Sadar Model Police Station.

Fire service, coast guard and Bangladesh Air Force are jointly carrying out the rescue operation to find out the missing pilot and co-pilot.