There's speculation of a double engine failure as the first officer told airport staff that there were 2 loud bangs one after the other and loss of thrust on 1 or more engines. It might have been a birdstrike...
Still, why choose the shorter runway when you got a longer one available?Though the loads were not heavy, 3000m on a balanced runway for a B742 that needs 3200 at MTOW... it's challenging.
Safety is a dish best served warm.