Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, May 12: After an attempted takeoff in Chongqing, China’s southwestern city, a Tibet Airlines plane carrying 122 people caught fire and ran off the runway. Tibet Airlines, a subsidiary of Air China, was ready to take off from Chongqing Airport for Nyingchi in Tibet on an Airbus A319 when the event occurred. The plane is claimed to be a ten-year-old plane with the registration code B-6426.
The tragedy occurred less than two months after a fatal crash involving a China Eastern Airlines plane prompted the country’s aviation authorities to initiate an investigation. According to the airline’s initial statement, all 113 passengers and 9 crew members have been evacuated and are safe, with just minor injuries. However, some reports suggest that 40 people are hospitalized.
Over 40 individuals were sent to the hospital with minor injuries, according to China Global Television Network (CGTN). Unverified video posted on social media shows the Tibet Airlines plane engulfed in flames and heavy smoke as passengers and personnel walked escape.
People were observed fleeing the plane after exiting using the rear door’s evacuation slide. When the fire broke out, the plane was set to take off towards Nyingchi, Tibet. The fire was eventually put out by the airport’s emergency personnel.
