A plane has vanished off the coast of Pakistan, with authorities urgently searching to find the aircraft.

The Boeing 737 — operated by K2 Airways — lost all contact with air traffic control after taking off from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.

Data shows the plane rapidly descended before making a sharp turn and vanishing off radars about 9.21pm local time on Tuesday.

Authorities revealed just minutes before the rapid descent, crew reported a navigation system issue.

K2 Airways confirmed five people are on board the plane.

“There were 5 crew members on board the aircraft,” the company said in a statement.

“Search and rescue operations are being conducted by the concerned organisations.

“K2 Airways is fully cooperating with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and government agencies. We continue to pray, earnestly, for the safety of our colleagues.”

Early flight data indicated the plane possibly crashed into the sea southwest of Karachi after a series of sharp altitude changes, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24.

If casualties are confirmed, the incident would be the first fatal crash in Pakistan since 2020, when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A320 came down short of the runway in Karachi, killing 97 people after pilots were distracted discussing the coronavirus before a failed landing attempt.

- With Reuters