Emirates plane crash-lands with 300 aboard; 1 firefighter

An Emirates airline flight traveling from India to Dubai crash-landed at Dubai’s primary airport on Wednesday, with all 300 individuals on board surviving, according to the airline.

One firefighter lost his life while responding to the incident, as stated by the airline’s chairman and CEO. Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum also reported that 10 individuals were hospitalized following the event at Dubai International Airport.

Emirates confirmed that the 282 passengers and 18 crew members were safe and accounted for after the incident, although no further details regarding the occurrence were provided

There were indications of wind shear, or a sudden downdraft, at the airport during the aircraft’s descent, but it remained uncertain whether this had any impact on the situation, as noted by the airline’s CEO later on.

Dubai-based Emirates, recognized as the largest airline in the Middle East, reported that the crash-landing took place at 12:45 p.m. local time as Flight EK521 was approaching from the southern Indian city of Thiruvananthapuram.

Social media users reported seeing smoke at the site, and images depicted a plane ablaze on the airport’s runway.

A passenger, Iype Vallikadan, mentioned that the pilot had informed them of an issue with the landing gear as the aircraft approached Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, and that an emergency landing would be executed, according to the Associated Press.

Following the landing, the cabin crew opened all emergency exits, and the evacuation of all individuals was completed within minutes, as reported by the news agency.

Among the passengers were six U.S. citizens, as stated by the airline. Additionally, there were 226 individuals from India, 24 from Britain, 11 from the Emirates, six from Saudi Arabia, five from Turkey, and four from Ireland.

Two individuals each hailed from Australia, Brazil, Germany, Malaysia, and Thailand, while one each came from Croatia, Egypt, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lebanon, the Philippines, South Africa, Switzerland, and Tunisia

Boeing, the American aircraft manufacturer, announced that a technical team is ready to assist in the investigation alongside the National Transportation Safety Board.

Saif Mohamed Al Suwaidi, the director general of Dubai’s General Civil Aviation Authority, tweeted that the agency has activated the investigation team collaborating with Emirates Airlines and Dubai Airport. He stated, “Our primary concern at this moment is the safety and well-being of all passengers and cabin crew.”

Founded in 1985, Emirates has established a strong safety record. Dubai International Airport is the busiest in the region, accommodating 78 million passengers last year.

The airport reported that other flights experienced delays of approximately six hours and operations resumed shortly before 7 p.m. local time.