Six passengers were hospitalised after a SWISS international flight bound for Zurich was forced to abort takeoff and evacuate on the runway at Delhi’sIndira Gandhi International Airportearly Sunday following an engine failure and fire scare. The incident involved flight LX 147, operated by an Airbus A330, which was carrying over 230 people, including crew members, at the time. According to initial reports, the aircraft was on its takeoff roll at around 1.08 am on runway 28 when engine number one failed, and a fire broke out.
The crew immediately rejected takeoff and initiated an emergency evacuation using slides.
There were 232 passengers on board, including four infants, along with crew members. Six passengers sustained injuries during the evacuation and were taken to Medanta Hospital for treatment.
Data from Flightradar24 showed the aircraft had reached a speed of 104 knots before the takeoff was aborted. Runway 28 was subsequently closed until the aircraft could be removed.
In an official statement, SWISS said, “We are aware of an incident involving flight LX147 in Delhi. The aircraft involved is an Airbus A330 (HB-JHK). SWISS has established a task force. There were 228 passengers and 4 infants on board. Shortly after takeoff, just after 1 am local time in India, an issue occurred with one of the engines. The crew rejected the takeoff and, following an assessment of the situation, decided as a precaution to evacuate the aircraft.”
“Six passengers (are) currently receiving medical attention, crew (is) unharmed. All passengers and crew (were) evacuated the aircraft via the emergency slides. Six passengers are currently undergoing medical evaluation. For a small number of individuals who were unable to use the slides, stairs were provided.”
The airline added, “Passengers are currently being assisted. Local teams are working intensively to arrange rebookings or hotel accommodation for our passengers. They have received contact cards to ensure we can reach them reliably. Such a situation is stressful for everyone involved. Our local teams are taking care of our passengers on site and are in direct contact with them. We are working closely with the local authorities.”
“We are determined to understand what led to this incident fully. SWISS technical specialists will travel to Delhi to inspect the aircraft and initiate the next steps. At the same time, we are working intensively to find swift and suitable onward travel solutions for all passengers. The safety of our passengers and our crew is always our top priority,” the statement added.
GetLatest NewsLive on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines fromDelhi,Delhi Weather&AQIand around theworld.
Sudhanshu Mishra is a Senior Copy Editor at Times Now. While his day-to-day work centres on news, his writing interests lie in the intersections of cu...View More
Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now
