Indian makes emergency landing

Passengers aboard an Indian Kolkata-Guwahati flight had a miraculous escape when their plane was hit by a bird, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing.

Passengers aboard an Indian Kolkata-Guwahati flight had a miraculous escape on Thursday when their plane was hit by a bird, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing at the airport in Guwahati.

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Flight IC 229 from Kolkata to Guwahati, with 86 passengers on board, was hit by a bird just before it was about to land.

"The bird hit let to a hydraulic failure in the left engine, forcing an emergency landing. The pilot saved the lives of the passengers and it was indeed a close shave," an airport official said, requesting not to be named.

All the passengers are safe.

All incoming and outgoing flights from Guwahati were suspended for about three hours as the Indian aircraft had to be towed away from the runway. The flights later resumed.