A Saudi Airlines flight from Riyadh caught fire upon landing at Peshawar’s Bacha Khan International Airport on Thursday, leading to the swift evacuation of all passengers and crew, according to a statement from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
CAA spokesperson Saifullah reported that air traffic controllers observed smoke and sparks coming from the left landing gear as the aircraft touched down and promptly alerted the pilots while also informing airport fire and rescue services.
CAA fire vehicles arrived quickly and extinguished the flames on the landing gear, the statement said.
“The fire tenders acted promptly and controlled the fire in the landing gear, preventing a major accident,” Saifullah stated. “All 276 passengers and 21 crew members were safely evacuated using an inflatable slide.”
Footage obtained by Dawn.com showed passengers disembarking the aircraft via the emergency slide.
Peshawar airport officials confirmed that the airport remains operational and all flights will continue as scheduled.
