Emergency:pia Airbus 300 On Fire
PIA Plane Catches Fire, Passengers Safe
M. Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Arab News
RIYADH, 9 September 2004 — A Pakistan International Airlines plane bound for Riyadh with 229 people on board caught fire after taking off from Lahore airport in eastern Pakistan.
“PIA’s flight No. PK-643 made an emergency landing after one of its engines caught fire,” said an official statement released by the airline. All passengers were safe, it added.
The aircraft, carrying 214 passengers and 15 crew members, took off for Riyadh from Lahore late Monday, and after 10 minutes of flying the engine caught fire due to some technical fault, Nasrullah Khan, the PIA spokesman, said in the statement. Local PIA officials confirmed the report. They said that the passengers bound for Riyadh deplaned shortly after the emergency landing and alternate arrangements were made to fly them to Riyadh.
The statement said that no injuries or major damage was reported. The passengers boarded another plane, which landed at Riyadh’s King Khaled International Airport several hours late on Tuesday.
Local PIA officials refused to share more information, saying only senior PIA executives based in Jeddah were authorized to speak to the media. Arab News could not reach them despite repeated attempts.
Good Work PIA
Glad All Passengers are safe
Last edited by SV_741_India_Bravo; 9th Sep 2004 at 10:09.