Tibet Airlines plane veers off runway, Catches fire, passengers injured

Tibet Airlines passenger plane having 122 people on-board veered off the runway and instantly caught fire while taking off in China’s Chongqing city on Thursday morning. Reportedly, the plane was carrying 113 passengers and nine crew members. Immediate evacuation was carried out and the injured ones were rushed to the nearest hospital. No causalities were reported immediately.

A video footage was posted by China Central Television (CCTV) which showed the front portion of the Airbus SE A319 aircraft was engulfed in flames and enveloped by thick black smoke from the fuselage of the Tibet Airlines plane on the tarmac at Chongqing Jiangbei international airport,

Tibet Airlines TV9833/A319/B-6425 from Chongqing to Nyingchi was on fire during take-off this morning, details still not known. CKG/ZUCK closed for now. pic.twitter.com/CPL47fmfVk

— FATIII Aviation (@FATIIIAviation) May 12, 2022

In the video, people could be seen running out of and away from the plane after escaping through an evacuation path near the rear door of the plane. As per the CCTV, fire had been extinguished and the runway had been closed. The airplane was due to depart for Nyingchi in Tibet when the mishap took place. The accident is currently under investigation.

In the recent weeks, this has been the second incident involving a passenger plane in China. The first one being, a Boeing 737 aircraft from Kunming to Guangzhou crashing in Tengxian of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on March 12. In that incident, all the 132 people on board were killed.