Six injured after SWISS flight catches fire at Delhi airport – What we know
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Six injured after SWISS flight catches fire at Delhi airport – What we know")
Representative image. Photograph: (AFP)
A SWISS Airbus A330 flight from Delhi to Zurich aborted takeoff after catching fire at Delhi’s IGI Airport. Six were injured as 232 passengers evacuated safely from the runway.
Six people were injured after a SWISS flight en route from Delhi to Zurich caught fire, prompting the crew to abort takeoff and evacuate immediately on the runway on early Sunday (Apr 26). The incident happened at Indira Gandhi International Airport when the aircraft suffered an engine failure, triggering a fire during takeoff.
According to reports, the Airbus A330, operating as flight LX147, had 232 passengers onboard, including infants. The plane was on runway 28 at around 1:08 am. As per the flight tracking data, the aircraft had reached a speed of 104 knots before the takeoff was aborted.
Passengers and crew evacuated using emergency slides. Six passengers were injured during the evacuation and taken to Medanta Hospital for treatment. The runway will remain shut until the aircraft is removed.
In a statement, SWISS airlines said, “We are aware of an incident involving flight LX147 in Delhi. The aircraft involved is an Airbus A330 (HB-JHK). SWISS has established a task force. There were 228 passengers and 4 infants on board. Shortly after takeoff, just after 1 am local time in India, an issue occurred with one of the engines. The crew rejected the takeoff and, following an assessment of the situation, decided as a precaution to evacuate the aircraft.”
It added that the crew members were not hurt in the incident. “Six passengers (are) currently receiving medical attention, crew (is) unharmed. All passengers and crew (were) evacuated the aircraft via the emergency slides. Six passengers are currently undergoing medical evaluation. For a small number of individuals who were unable to use the slides, stairs were provided.”
The statement added that arrangements were being made for rebookings or hotel accommodation for the passengers, adding that the airline was working closely with the local authorities.
“Passengers are currently being assisted. Local teams are working intensively to arrange rebookings or hotel accommodation for our passengers. They have received contact cards to ensure we can reach them reliably. Such a situation is stressful for everyone involved. Our local teams are taking care of our passengers on site and are in direct contact with them. We are working closely with the local authorities,” the statement read.
The airline added that an investigation will follow. “We are determined to fully understand what led to this incident. SWISS technical specialists will travel to Delhi to inspect the aircraft and initiate the next steps. At the same time, we are working intensively to find swift and suitable onward travel solutions for all passengers. The safety of our passengers and our crew is always our top priority.”
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