Tibet Airlines plane in flames, passengers evacuated before take-off in southwestern China
- Flames and billowing smoke seen from fuselage as people run from the aircraft on Thursday morning
- 36 people were taken to hospital with minor injuries sustained during their evacuation from the stricken Airbus A319-100
Fire sent black smoke billowing storeys high after a plane carrying 122 people veered off a runway in southwestern China as it tried to take off on Thursday morning, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
The crew of the Tibet Airlines plane aborted the departure for the Tibetan city of Nyingchi when the aircraft ran off the runway at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport at around 8am.
Video footage posted by CCTV showed people running from the plane as it sat on the tarmac with an evacuation slide at the rear door and its nose landing gear collapsed. Chongqing airport said on social media platform Weibo that the fire began on the left side of the plane, towards its nose.
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Plane bursts into flames after skidding off runway in Chongqing airport in China
The southwest regional administration of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said the fire had been extinguished but the runway remained closed. Two other runways at Chongqing airport were operating normally, it said.
All of the 113 passengers and nine crew were evacuated from the Tibet Airlines flight TV9833, the agency said. A total of 36 people who suffered bruising and sprains during the evacuation were taken to hospital.
The agency said a team had been sent to the scene to investigate the cause of the fire, which began after the plane’s engine rubbed against the ground as it veered off the runway. The Airbus A319-100 had been in service with the airline for nine and a half years.
