By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: A Turkish Airlines aircraft arriving from Istanbul triggered an emergency situation at Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, on Monday after one of its landing gear tyres caught fire during landing.
Airport authorities quickly brought the situation under control and safely evacuated everyone on board. Officials said the incident briefly disrupted international flight operations at Nepal’s busiest airport.
The incident involved Turkish Airlines flight TK726, which had flown from Istanbul to Kathmandu. Authorities said the fire broke out at around 6:45 am shortly after the aircraft touched down on the runway.
Security personnel and airport fire services responded immediately and managed to extinguish the blaze within a short time.
According to Nepal Civil Aviation Authority Information Officer Gyanendra Bhul, emergency exits were opened to evacuate passengers safely from the aircraft.
Airport security official SP Rajkumar Silawal said the aircraft’s tyre caught fire while landing, but the blaze was contained promptly with the help of fire engines, allowing passengers to be evacuated safely.
The aircraft was carrying 278 passengers and 11 crew members, while a number of United Nations personnel were also among those on board. Authorities said the flight was also transporting cargo and human remains.
Officials said a few passengers suffered minor injuries during the evacuation process.
Following the incident, the aircraft remained stranded on the runway for some time, forcing several incoming international flights to remain airborne as the runway was temporarily shut.
Reports said affected flights included Air India flight AI 215 from Delhi, Air Arabia flight G9 536 from Sharjah, Drukair services from Paro, flydubai flights from Dubai, and Nepal Airlines flights arriving from Kuala Lumpur and Guangzhou.
Videos circulating on social media showed smoke and flames near the aircraft as emergency teams rushed towards the runway.