Cargo plane crashes in Dubai

A cargo plane has crash-landed in an uninhabited area in Dubai, the official news agency WAM has reported.

Eye-witnesses said a Boeing plane belonging to the cargo firm UPS crashed close to a military base, not far from a main highway. The plane which had taken off from Dubai airport was heading for Cologne in Germany. The crew reported a fire soon after take-off and was apparently attempting to return when it crashed. There has been no official confirmation on casualties, but the two member crew reportedly died as a result of the crash.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A UPS cargo plane with two crew members on board crashed shortly after takeoff Friday outside Dubai, officials said. There was no immediate word on casualties.
The plane went down inside an Emirati air base near a busy highway intersection about 10 miles (16 kilometers) southeast of Dubai's international airport. The state news agency WAM reported the crash occurred in an unpopulated desert area, suggesting there may not have been casualties on the ground.
UPS spokeswoman Kristen Petrella said the Boeing 747-400 went down at about 8 p.m. in Dubai (12 p.m. EST). Flight 6 was en route to the UPS hub in Cologne, Germany, she said. Petrella said the plane had two crew members but the company has not confirmed any casualties.
An Associated Press photographer saw smoke rising from the crash site, which was shielded from the highway by walls. Migrants laborers from a nearby camp gathered along the roadside to watch.
"This incident is very unfortunate and we will do everything we can to find the cause," UPS' airline and international operations manager Bob Lekites said in a statement. "Our thoughts go out to the crew members involved in the incident and their families."
In October 2009, a Sudanese Boeing 707 cargo plane crashed in the desert outside Dubai, killing six crew members.
Emirati regulators have banned the plane's Sudanese owner, Azza Transport, from operating in the country.