Turkish Airlines Plane Tyre Catches Fire During Landing at Nepal’s Tribhuvan Airport, All Passengers Safe
Turkish Airlines Plane Tyre Catches Fire During Landing at Nepal’s Tribhuvan Airport, All Passengers Safe
Kathmandu: A dramatic incident unfolded at Nepal’s Tribhuvan International Airport on Monday morning after a Turkish Airlines aircraft caught fire during landing. The fire reportedly broke out in the right-side tyres of the aircraft as it touched down at the airport in Kathmandu.
According to airport security officials, all 278 passengers and 11 crew members on board flight TK726 from Istanbul were safely evacuated after the incident. Emergency response teams quickly rushed to the runway and managed to contain the fire using airport fire engines.
Speaking to ANI, SP Rajkumar Silawal from airport security confirmed that the aircraft experienced a tyre fire while landing.
“The aircraft with call sign TK726 was en route to Kathmandu from Istanbul, and the tyre had caught fire while landing. Using the fire engine, it has been contained. All the passengers are safely evacuated,” he said.
Officials also stated that some United Nations personnel were among the passengers travelling on the flight.
Videos circulating on social media showed flames emerging from the aircraft’s right landing gear along with thick grey smoke billowing from the wheels. Passengers were evacuated through the emergency exits as a precautionary measure.
No injuries have been reported so far, and authorities are yet to determine the exact cause of the incident. Neither the airline nor airport authorities have issued an official statement regarding the tyre fire.
This is not the first time Turkish Airlines has faced an incident at Kathmandu airport. In 2015, another Turkish Airlines aircraft skidded off the runway while landing in foggy conditions, forcing the airport to shut operations for four days. The Airbus A330 had veered onto the grassy area beside the runway, though all passengers were safely evacuated without injuries.
