Turkish Airlines Flight With 288 People On Board Catches Fire As It Lands

A Turkish Airlines jet caught fire landing at Nepal’s main airport, forcing the airport to shut down

The flight from Istanbul, with 277 passengers on board, landed at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport with fire and smoke billowing from the right-side landing gear.

Emergency crews responded to control the fire on the Airbus 330 and passengers were safely evacuated, according to airport officials.

Several flights bound for Kathmandu were put on hold while officials investigated the incident and attempted to clear the airport’s only runway.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said the fire broke out in the Airbus’ right rear tyre.

‘Technical inspections of the aircraft have been initiated by our teams. Initial ​assessments indicate ​that ⁠the smoke was caused by a technical malfunction in a hydraulic ​pipe,’ Yahya Ustun, the airline’s ​senior ⁠vice president of communications, said.

Another flight has been planned for the return of passengers to their destinations.