Rome, Italy

In a dramatic moment, a Ryanair flight caught fire when it was about to take off from the Brindisi Airport in Italy, after which almost 200 passengers were quickly evacuated from the aeroplane using the emergency slide.

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As the plane was preparing for take-off, flames started coming from the engine. According to a report in The Sun, an explosion occurred on the left side of the wing of the plane after which it caught fire. 

Firefighters quickly moved towards the plane to control the fire and its departure was aborted.

plane

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Visual of flames emanating from the Ryanair plane's wing.

The flight's crew used an inflatable slide to evacuate the 184 passengers aboard. Because of the emergency situation, the airport was closed.

Here's how airport and airlines reacted to the incident

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Speaking about the fire incident, a spokesperson of the airport said: "Aeroporti di Puglia announces that due to a problem with a departing aircraft, it was necessary to close the Salento Airport in Brindisi. The problem, which occurred when the aircraft was already aligned at the head for take-off, required the evacuation of passengers via emergency slides."

Also Read: Ryanair plane's tyres explode during landing at Italy airport

"All operations were carried out with maximum safety for passengers and crew. The passengers are already at the airport where they are being assisted by Aeroporti di Puglia personnel. The company's technicians are working on the interventions within their competence and necessary so that Aeroporti di Puglia can proceed with the subsequent checks on the usability of the runway and proceed with the reopening of the airport," he added,

In the incident, no significant injuries were reported.

In a statement, Ryanair's spokesperson said, "Flight FR8826 from Brindisi to Turin (3rd Oct) was delayed this morning after cabin crew observed fumes on the outside of the aircraft. Passengers were disembarked without incident and returned to the terminal by bus. We sincerely apologise to affected passengers for this delay, and a spare aircraft will operate Flight FR8826 from Brindisi to Turin later this morning."

In another recent incident, passengers on a Ryanair flight from Barcelona to Italy had a massive scare when several tyres of the plane burst upon landing. The incident happened at Bergamo's Orio al Serio airport, near Milan, around 8:00 am (local time) on Tuesday (Oct 1).

Around 450 metres of the runway was damaged in the incident, due to which flights were affected. 

(With inputs from agencies)