An Emirates airline flight en route from India to Dubai crash-landed at Dubai’s main airport on Wednesday, with all 300 people on board surviving, as reported by the airline.
One firefighter tragically lost his life while attending to the incident, according to the airline’s chairman and CEO. Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum also indicated that 10 individuals were hospitalized following the occurrence at Dubai International Airport.
Emirates confirmed that all 282 passengers and 18 crew members were safe and accounted for after the incident, although no additional details regarding the event were disclosed.
There were signs of wind shear, or a sudden downdraft, at the airport during the aircraft’s descent, but it remained unclear whether this contributed to the situation, as noted by the airline’s CEO later on.
Dubai-based Emirates, recognized as the largest airline in the Middle East, stated that the crash-landing occurred at 12:45 p.m. local time as Flight EK521 was approaching from the southern Indian city of Thiruvananthapuram.
Social media users reported observing smoke at the scene, and images showed a plane engulfed in flames on the airport’s runway.
A passenger, Iype Vallikadan, reported that the pilot had informed them of a problem with the landing gear as the aircraft neared Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, and that an emergency landing would be carried out, 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.