INDIA: Air India Flight AI-405 Catches Fire while Landing; 5 Injured during Evacuation

Air India flight AI-405 caught fire on its left wing just before landing at Runway 27 of Delhi airport at 8:30pm on Monday, said reports.

Air India flight AI405 was

forced to make an emergency landing at Delhi airport on Monday evening after it caught fire midair.

All the 153 people on board including 144 passengers were evacuated safely. However, at least five of them were reported to have received minor injuries. They were given first aid treatment at the airport.

"We didn't see fire, there was a lot of smoke," ANI quoted Rajendra Desai, one of the passengers of AI-405.

A major tragedy was averted as the pilot of the Varanasi-Delhi flight (AI-405) pulled through a safe landing even after it caught fire just before reaching Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, reports said.

The pilot came to know about leak in hydraulic system in air when it was in the process of landing, Civil Aviation Minister Mahesh Sharma told media. He added that emergencies were declared and all fire brigade and security arrangements were made as soon as the pilot informed the air traffic control about the fire outbreak.

According to a report, the fire on the left wing of the aircraft was caused by a hydraulic leak in the nose wheel.

"Air India flight AI 405 from Varanasi to Delhi had an emergency landing here as the pilot reported hydraulic failure. All passengers were evacuated safely, however, some 4-5 of them sustained minor injuries during evacuation," PTI quoted airport sources as saying.