Mumbai: Passengers and crew members had a narrow escape at the Mumbai airport on Friday after an engine of Air India’s Riyadh-bound plane caught fire while taxiing for take-off.
No one was hurt in the incident as the blaze was put out immediately, spokespersons of Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) and Air India said.
The passengers were evacuated through emergency exit chutes of the Boeing B 747-400 aircraft which was brought to a halt on a taxiway and the emergency drill activated.
All passengers of AI-829 flight are safe, they said.
The incident occurred this morning at around 1050. All the stranded passengers are being sent by another aircraft to their destination, the airline spokesperson said.
“One of the engines caught fire while the aircraft was taxiing to the runway. Passengers were evacuated via slides,” said the spokesman, Manish Kalghatgi.
There were 213 passengers and 15 crew aboard, said a spokeswoman for Air India, the national carrier. The cause of the fire was being investigated, she said.