Turkish Airlines plane catches fire in Kathmandu, 288 evacuated safely
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A Turkish Airlines aircraft caught fire during landing at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu on Monday morning, prompting an emergency evacuation. Nepali officials confirmed that all 288 passengers on board were safely evacuated.
According to a senior official of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the fire broke out suddenly in the rear landing gear of the flight arriving from Istanbul at around 6:35 a.m., triggering immediate emergency response measures.
Information officer Gyanendra Bhul told IANS that passengers were swiftly escorted to the terminal after evacuation. “The baggage carried by the Turkish Airlines aircraft has also been unloaded,” he said, adding that all passengers were safe.
Bhul further confirmed that the aircraft was carrying 288 people in total, all of whom were evacuated without injuries. Following the incident, regular flight operations at the airport were temporarily disrupted.
“The aircraft has now been moved to the airport bay, the airport has reopened, and the situation is normal,” Bhul added.
Officials said sparks and flames were observed in the rear landing gear, after which airport emergency response teams rushed to the scene and brought the fire under control using fire engines. Passengers were evacuated through emergency exits.
The aircraft has since been grounded, and hotel arrangements have been made for passengers who were scheduled to depart from Kathmandu. Authorities are also making arrangements to transfer urgent passengers to their destinations on alternative flights.
According to TIA authorities, the aircraft remains grounded and is currently undergoing technical inspection. A Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) team will conduct a detailed investigation at Tribhuvan International Airport. In addition, the Flight Safety Department of the Civil Aviation Authority will carry out a separate probe into the incident. “We have started a detailed technical study of the incident,” assistant spokesperson Bhul said.
Turkish Airlines currently operates five weekly flights to Nepal, connecting passengers to Europe, the United States, and Canada, and is considered a major long-haul European carrier serving the country.
This is not the first incident involving the airline at TIA. On March 4, 2015, a Turkish Airlines aircraft was also involved in an accident at the airport, when it skidded off the runway and came to rest on the grassy shoulder during landing. There were no casualties, though the aircraft sustained significant damage.
With IANS inputs