Dubai: The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) announced on Friday evening that a Boeing 747-400 cargo plane crashed in an unpopulated area between the Emirates Road and Al Ain highway and caught fire, according to WAM.  In a statement, the GCAA said all measures had been taken to extinguish the fire and that bodies of two pilots were found, WAM added.

“The authorities concerned are conducting necessary investigations to identify the cause of the crash, the GCAA statement said.

A UPS spokeswoman Kristen Petrella told AP that the Boeing 747-400 went down at about 8pm.

The flight was en route to the UPS hub in Cologne, Germany, she said.

An Associated Press photographer saw smoke rising from the crash site, which was shielded from the highway by walls.

Labourers 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.”