ISLAMABAD – Pakistani rescuers found the wreckage of a Boeing cargo plane in a deep sea search operation on July 8, 12 hours after it went missing off the coast of Karachi, with efforts underway to find the five crew members who were on board, authorities said.

The wreckage of K2 Airways cargo Boeing 737 was recovered 98km south of Ormara port, Pakistan Airports Authority said.

Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency deployed “various air and sea borne assets” to locate the remains, it said, adding that the search operation was continuing to find the crew members.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed authorities to speed up the search for the 27-year-old converted freighter, which went missing in the Arabian Sea after reporting a navigational system problem.

K2 Airways, the plane’s operator, said the crew comprised two pilots, two engineers and one support staffer. Authorities have made no official declaration on their status, although Sharif expressed his “heartfelt condolences” to their families.

The plane may have crashed into the sea south-west of Karachi after a series of sharp altitude changes before a steep final descent, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24.

Authorities had launched a coordinated search and rescue operation at sea through various agencies, the airports authority said. K2 Airways said it was cooperating with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and other government agencies. Boeing has not yet commented.

The plane reported a navigational system issue at 9.18pm local time (12.18am Singapore time the next day) while flying towards Karachi, the airports authority said.

Plane descended rapidly

Local air traffic control tried to guide it but three minutes later...