Footage circulated online showed flames and black smoke emanating from the craft
A passenger plane caught fire while taking off from an airport in southwest China, with local officials saying one of its engines scraped off the runway before exploding.
On Thursday morning, a flight from Chongqing Airport to Naingchi was scheduled to depart for the city “Abnormality” And off the runway, an engine ignited after a brief collision with a tarmac.
“There was an abnormality during the takeoff process and the takeoff was interrupted according to the procedure. After deviating from the runway, the engine swept to the ground and caught fire. ” Local aviation officials said in a statement “It’s gone now.”
The 122 people on board, including 113 passengers and nine flight crew, were safely evacuated, Tibet Airlines said, although about 40 people were taken to hospital with minor injuries.
The incident was captured on video shared by local media outlets, with a large plume of dark smoke billowing into the sky as first responders tried to extinguish the blaze.
A plane took off from the runway and caught fire during takeoff at an airport in southwest China’s Chongqing on Thursday morning. A total of 113 passengers and nine crew members were evacuated and some of the slightly injured were taken to hospital, Tibet Airlines said. pic.twitter.com/FUZX3MSnfA
– People’s Daily, China (DCPDChina) May 12, 2022
The airport said the Airbus SE A319, on the left side of the plane, caught fire and added that an investigation was now underway. The plane was nine years old, Reuters reported, citing a website that collected aviation information. Airbus said it was aware of the incident and was still reviewing the situation.
A flight from Chongqing in southwestern China to Lhasa crashed on the runway at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, causing the plane to catch fire: report pic.twitter.com/A6V149elkR
– Global Times (loglobaltimesnews) May 12, 2022
Thursday’s runway scare comes less than two months after a fatal crash involving a Boeing 737-800 operated by China Eastern Airlines, which killed 132 passengers and crew on board on the way from Kunming to Guangzhou on March 21. Chinese aviation authorities say the plane had a black box “Seriously Damaged” Accidents, complicating the investigation of accidents.
You can share this story on social media:
