KATHMANDU: A Turkish Airlines aircraft bound for Istanbul caught fire in its right engine shortly after taking off from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) on Wednesday afternoon.
According to TIA General Manager Tek Nath Sitaula, the incident occurred just four minutes after the aircraft took off at 1:28 pm. The flight, operating under the number THY 727, reported a fire in the right engine soon after departure.
The aircraft involved was carrying 225 passengers. As soon as the airport authorities received information about the engine fire, Tribhuvan International Airport was completely shut down for around 15 minutes as a precautionary measure.
“We immediately prepared all emergency arrangements, including fire engines and ambulances, and temporarily closed the airport,” Sitaula said. “However, after the Turkish crew informed us of their decision to divert the aircraft to Kolkata, we granted permission.”
“The aircraft has landed safely in Kolkata, and operations at Tribhuvan International Airport have returned to normal,” he said.
No injuries were reported in the incident, and further technical assessment of the aircraft is expected to be carried out by the airline.
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