By Online Desk
PATNA: A Delhi-bound SpiceJet flight (SG 725) caught fire soon after taking off on June 19 from Patna airport where it made an emergency landing after hovering for several minutes in the air, officials said.
The aircraft took off at around 12:10 pm, and according to residents of localities adjacent to the airport, who claimed to have witnessed the spectacle, it caught fire immediately.
“None of the passengers have been hurt. Their journey to Delhi is being arranged by an alternative aircraft. What caused the fire is a matter of investigation,” an official told reporters.
Passengers, who had a close shave, said they felt tremors inside the plane soon after the takeoff and the lights started turning off. “We raised an alarm. The crew members asked us to keep calm and that an emergency landing was being made,” they said.
Fire engines were deployed at the airstrip where the emergency landing was made though the flames had, by then, come under control.
“The Delhi-bound flight had returned to Patna airport after locals noticed a fire in the aircraft and informed district and airport officials. All 185 passengers were safely deboarded. The reason is a technical glitch, engineering team analysing further,” Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh told media persons.
(With PTI and ANI inputs)
