newswatcher
11th Apr 2001, 12:55
Associated Press reports:
"A SriLankan Airlines' Airbus A-330 aircraft with 145 passengers on board made an emergency evacuation after a fire warning went off moments before takeoff Wednesday, the airline said in a statement.
At least four passengers bound for Frankfurt were injured, none of them seriously, said Manuela Motha, an airline spokeswoman.
Detecting a fire warning on taxiing for takeoff, the captain decided to evacuate the aircraft, Motha said.
The four passengers suffered injuries while exiting via the escape chute and are being treated in hospital, she said.
SriLankan Airlines, the country's national carrier, in February had ruled out grounding some of its aircraft despite two incidents in which planes had to return before completing their flights.
An Airbus A-320 bound for Dhaka, Bangladesh, returned to the capital, Colombo, shortly after takeoff on Feb. 21 after one of its engines malfunctioned.
On Feb. 12, an Airbus A-340 returned to Colombo after being in the air for 5 1/2 hours. Onboard were 310 passengers traveling to London.
Airport officials at the time blamed the incident on a wheel that had burst on takeoff.
There were no injuries in either incident.
The airline, run jointly by the Sri Lankan government and Dubai-based Emirates Airlines, said all its aircraft are in good condition and there would be no groundings."
"A SriLankan Airlines' Airbus A-330 aircraft with 145 passengers on board made an emergency evacuation after a fire warning went off moments before takeoff Wednesday, the airline said in a statement.
At least four passengers bound for Frankfurt were injured, none of them seriously, said Manuela Motha, an airline spokeswoman.
Detecting a fire warning on taxiing for takeoff, the captain decided to evacuate the aircraft, Motha said.
The four passengers suffered injuries while exiting via the escape chute and are being treated in hospital, she said.
SriLankan Airlines, the country's national carrier, in February had ruled out grounding some of its aircraft despite two incidents in which planes had to return before completing their flights.
An Airbus A-320 bound for Dhaka, Bangladesh, returned to the capital, Colombo, shortly after takeoff on Feb. 21 after one of its engines malfunctioned.
On Feb. 12, an Airbus A-340 returned to Colombo after being in the air for 5 1/2 hours. Onboard were 310 passengers traveling to London.
Airport officials at the time blamed the incident on a wheel that had burst on takeoff.
There were no injuries in either incident.
The airline, run jointly by the Sri Lankan government and Dubai-based Emirates Airlines, said all its aircraft are in good condition and there would be no groundings."