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Passengers bailed out emergency doors and down an inflatable chute after wheels on the
IndiGo Airbus 320 smoked and burned. More than 170 riders made it off safely.
A cut-rate Indian jetliner caught fire on Saturday as it touched down in Nepal, forcing
more than 170 passengers to evacuate the plane on the runway, officials said.
Wheels on right side of the aircraft ignited as they hit the ground, spewing smoke across
the tarmac in Kathmandu. Passengers on the Airbus 320 reported a “rubber
burning-like smell” during the landing, Nepalese businessman Satish Shrestha said
after leaving the plane. Riders bailed out of emergency doors and slid
down an inflatable chute to the ground once the planed had come to a stop.
Airport workers rushed to extinguish the smoking wheels.
The flight from New Delhi was operated by IndiGo, a budget airline with routes primarily
throughout India. An airline spokesperson told the Times of
India the passengers had been taken to a hotel, and a 9 p.m. flight from Kathmandu to Delhi
would take off as schedule, pending the approval of Indian aviation officials.
Investigators declined release other details of the landing mishap until their investigation
is complete.