Kathmandu: A major scare unfolded at Tribhuvan International Airport on Monday morning after a tyre of a Turkish Airlines aircraft caught fire while landing, briefly disrupting international flight operations at Nepal’s busiest airport. Videos circulating on social media showed flames and thick smoke emerging from the landing gear area as emergency personnel surrounded the aircraft on the runway.
Details On The Incident
According to officials, the incident involved Turkish Airlines flight TK726, which had arrived in Kathmandu from Istanbul. The fire reportedly broke out at around 6:45 am during touchdown when the aircraft’s wheels caught fire on the runway.
Emergency response teams immediately rushed to the spot, and fire engines were deployed to contain the blaze. Authorities later confirmed that the fire was successfully extinguished and all passengers onboard were evacuated safely.
Information Officer Gyanendra Bhul from Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority said emergency exits were opened shortly after the incident to evacuate passengers from the aircraft.
The flight was carrying 277 passengers, including four children, along with crew members. Officials said some passengers sustained minor injuries during the evacuation process. Authorities also confirmed that the aircraft was transporting cargo as well as human remains.
'Situation Under Control,' Say Officials
Airport security official SP Rajkumar Silawal told ANI that the situation was brought under control swiftly. “The Turkish Airlines TK726 was en route to Kathmandu from Istanbul and the tyre caught fire during landing. Using fire engines, the blaze was contained. All passengers were evacuated safely,” he said.
Following the incident, the aircraft remained stranded on the runway, temporarily affecting international flight operations at the airport. Several incoming flights were reportedly placed on hold in Kathmandu airspace until runway clearance operations were completed.
Among the affected flights were Air India flight AI215 arriving from Delhi and Air Arabia flight G9 536 from Sharjah. Flights operated by Drukair, flydubai, and Nepal Airlines were also delayed due to the temporary runway closure.
