NEW DELHI — An Air Mauritius Airbus 330-200 airliner taking off from New Delhi’s main airport caught fire forcing all 241 passengers to escape through the emergency exit, according to media reports.
The pilot braked when a bird apparently hit the plane, sparking a fire that spread to the jetliner’s undercarriage, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported.
Rescue workers and firefighters rushed to evacuate the plane and put out the blaze Thursday afternoon.
All 241 passengers and 11 crew members on the New Delhi to Mauritius flight escaped safely through the emergency exits, though the chaotic scene caused some to panic, newspapers reported.
“The children were crying and the elderly were finding it difficult to get out of the plane,” Rahul Gautam, an insurance salesman who was on the flight, told the Hindustan Times.
Airport and Air Mauritius officials could not be immediately reached for comment.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
