Narrow escape for passengers as Royal Bhutan aircraft catches fire at Kolkata airport

Around 80 passengers and crew members of the aircraft had to be evacuated using the emergency chute. The fire was first detected by a coast guard officer.

Passengers travelling to Bangkok by a flight of the Royal Bhutan Airlines had a narrow escape at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport at Kolkata on Saturday.

The Royal Bhutan Airlines aircraft that caught fire at the Kolkata airport on Saturday afternoon. (Photo courtesy: Indian Coast Guard)

Smoke was detected in the aircraft a few seconds after it started approaching the runway for take off. It was around 12.10 pm.

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On the ground, the smoke was first detected by Indian Coast Guard commanding officer K R Arun who was inspecting the facility the coast guard has at the airport. He detected the smoke from the Bangkok- bound plane and saw the emergency chutes in the aircraft already deployed. Arun and deputy commandant Pankaj Mishra sounded an alert and rushed to the rescue of the passengers.

Injured air hostesses of the Royal Bhutan Airlines being treated by coast guard personnel.

The passengers were evacuated through the emergency escape chutes. The coast guard officers and their skeletal staff also provided medical treatment for the passengers and crew members who suffered cuts and bruises.

The pilot of the aircraft took the plane to a safe area after the evacuation. Fortunately, the runway was empty.

There were 80 passengers on board.

“The passengers disembarked through the chute. In the process, a few passengers received minor injuries. But the operations of the airport were not affected,” said Atul Dixit, the airport director.

The accident triggered panic among passengers of other flights.