Plane veers off runway in China, catches fire
All 113 passengers and nine flight crew on-board evacuated
AChinese passenger jet veered off the runway during take-off and caught fire yesterday, sending black smoke billowing into the air and injuring more than 30 people.
The Tibet Airlines flight with 122 people on board was departing from the southwestern city of Chongqing for a flight to Nyingchi in Tibet region.
Videos shared by state media showed the left side of the aircraft on fire as people who appeared to be passengers headed away from the scene. Other footage showed fire trucks spraying water on the plane. The accident happened at 8:09am, Tibet Airlines said.
The Airbus A319-115 jet had 113 passengers and nine flight crew on board, all of whom were evacuated. During the evacuation, 36 people were injured with sprains or scrapes, according to the southwest regional branch of the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
“In the process of taking off, the flight crew discovered an abnormality with the aircraft and stopped the take-off according to the procedures. The aircraft left the runway and caught fire after the engine hit the ground. Currently the fire has been put out,” the aviation authorities said in a statement.
One passenger, Long Anquan, said that during take-off he heard an unusual noise, after which the plane started to lean to one side and hit the ground with its wing. Long quickly bent forward and put his hands over his head, but the impact was so strong that he was still injured.
Long said he felt lucky to survive. “I’ve used up all my luck in my entire life,’’ he said in an interview with China News Service.