Saudia plane catches fire
Saudia plane catches fire
By Abdul Rahman Almotawa & Wajdi Sindy (Arab News)
RIYADH, 2 August — A Saudi Arabian Airlines Airbus-300 flying from Madinah with 247 passengers and 12 crew member aboard caught fire just before landing at the King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah on Monday.
Six passengers on SV1535 suffered minor injuries during emergency evacuation, an airline official said.
The crew and airport security acted swiftly to evacuate passengers of the aircraft immediately after landing at Jeddah. Describing the accident as minor, Saudia’s Director General Dr. Khaled ibn Bakr said the passengers were injured while jumping out of the aircraft using emergency ramp.
An official airline statement said the right engine of the aircraft caught fire just before landing at Jeddah at around 11.30 p.m. Passengers said they had heard a crackling sound few minutes before landing.
Airline sources said the flight scheduled at 7.00 p.m. took off from Madinah three hours late due to mechanical errors. Saudia has 11 Airbus aircraft in a fleet of 126.