K2 Airways crash: Funeral prayers held in absentia for missing first officer Faisal Jatoi

Funeral prayers in absentia were held for K2 Airways First Officer Faisal Jatoi, who remains missing after the airline’s cargo aircraft crashed into the Arabian Sea.

According to details, the funeral prayers were offered near First Officer Faisal Jatoi’s native village, New Jatoi, after the K2 Airways cargo plane crashed into the sea while returning from Sharjah on July 7.

A large number of political and social figures, local elders, and residents attended the funeral prayers. Following the prayers, attendees expressed their condolences to Faisal Jatoi’s father and other family members.

The K2 Airways Boeing 737 cargo aircraft crashed into the sea near Ormara while flying from Sharjah to Karachi on July 7.

Five crew members were onboard the aircraft and none have been traced so far. They include Captain Rizwan Idris, First Officer Faisal Jatoi, Aircraft Engineer Muhammad Arif Siddiqui, Aircraft Engineer Muhammad Hamid, and Load Master Muhammad Taufiq.

A large-scale search operation for the aircraft wreckage and missing crew members is continuing. However, even after a week since the crash, no major breakthrough has been reported.

The aircraft’s cockpit, fuselage, engines, and the most crucial component, the black box, have not yet been located.

Sources said the Coast Guard has been placed on high alert along the coastal belt, while continuous patrols are being carried out in nearby areas to search for wreckage and missing crew members.

The search and rescue operation in deep waters beyond 12 nautical miles is being conducted under the supervision of the Pakistan Navy and the Maritime Security Agency.

Expert divers from the Pakistan Navy have also carried out underwater operations to locate evidence and important parts of the aircraft. The search and salvage operation in the deep sea near Ormara will continue in the coming days.

Aviation sources said that the actual technical cause of the crash cannot be determined conclusively until the aircraft’s engine and black box are recovered.