Flight recorders found after Lithuania cargo jet crash

Investigators probing the deadly cargo plane crash in Lithuania found the aircraft's flight recorders on Tuesday, the justice ministry said, as they sought to establish what caused the disaster.

The DHL plane coming from the German city of Leipzig crashed early Monday near the Vilnius airport, killing one crew member and raising questions over whether the tragedy could be connected to a recent series of sabotage cases.

The Baltic country's officials have been looking into alleged acts of incendiary devices being planted on cargo planes, but refrained from linking the crash to the ongoing probes.

Lithuania's justice ministry said in a statement that the flight recorders were "retrieved from the debris of the plane" at approximately 11:30 am (0930 GMT) on Tuesday.

Analysis of flight recorder data could supply critical clues over the crash of the aircraft, which skidded several hundred metres before hitting a residential building about one kilometre (0.6 miles) from the airport.

The ministry also said German officials have arrived in Lithuania to assist with the aviation security investigation, and authorities are also awaiting the arrival of experts from the United States and Spain.

Police Chief Arunas Paulauskas said it could take two to three days to examine the scene.

Lithuania has also opened a criminal investigation into the crash, with Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte urging people to refrain from "jumping to conclusions" while it is ongoing.

But German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Monday "we must now seriously ask ourselves whether this was an accident or whether it was another hybrid incident".

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius later said there were "no findings" as yet that indicated there had been an explosive charge on the aircraft that could have caused the crash.