A Pakistan-registered Boeing 737 cargo aircraft carrying five crew members has gone missing while approaching Karachi from Sharjah.

The aircraft reportedly alerted air traffic control to a navigational system malfunction before communication was suddenly lost.

Flight-tracking data suggests the plane experienced dramatic altitude changes before a rapid descent, raising fears it may have crashed into the Arabian Sea.

The cargo flight disappeared approximately 155 nautical miles west of Karachi near Ormara in Pakistan’s Balochistan region.

Pakistan’s aviation authorities have launched a large-scale search and rescue operation involving multiple maritime and emergency agencies.

Officials are continuing efforts to locate the missing aircraft and crew as the cause of the incident remains under investigation.