A major emergency unfolded at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Monday morning after the tyre of a Turkish Airlines aircraft caught fire while the plane was landing, temporarily disrupting operations at Nepal’s busiest international airport. The incident caused panic among passengers and briefly affected several incoming international flights as emergency teams rushed to control the situation on the runway.
According to airport and aviation officials, the fire broke out shortly after the aircraft touched down at the airport. Emergency response teams, including airport fire engines and rescue personnel, were immediately deployed to the scene to prevent the flames from spreading further. Authorities later confirmed that the fire was successfully brought under control and all passengers and crew members on board were evacuated safely from the aircraft.
Officials stated that Turkish Airlines flight TK726 had arrived in Kathmandu from Istanbul, and the incident took place at approximately 6:45 am during the landing process. Preliminary information indicated that the aircraft’s wheels or tyres caught fire during touchdown on the runway, prompting emergency evacuation procedures.
Nepal Civil Aviation Authority Information Officer Gyanendra Bhul said emergency exits were opened after the fire was detected, allowing passengers to quickly leave the aircraft while rescue teams monitored the situation closely. The evacuation operation was carried out under emergency protocols to ensure the safety of everyone on board.
Authorities confirmed that 277 passengers were travelling on the aircraft, including four children, along with 11 crew members at the time of the incident. Some officials associated with the United Nations were also reportedly among the passengers on board the flight.
While all passengers were safely rescued, a few individuals sustained minor injuries during the evacuation and rescue efforts, according to officials. Medical teams and airport emergency staff were present to assist affected passengers immediately after the evacuation process.
Officials further revealed that the aircraft was also transporting cargo along with human remains, adding to the sensitivity of the operation. Despite the seriousness of the incident, authorities confirmed that the situation was brought under control before it could escalate into a larger disaster.
Earlier, airport security official SP Rajkumar Silawal informed news agency ANI that emergency responders had successfully contained the fire using airport fire engines. He stated that the Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul had experienced a tyre fire while landing in Kathmandu, but confirmed that all passengers were evacuated safely without any major casualties.
Following the incident, the aircraft remained stranded on the runway, forcing airport authorities to temporarily halt international flight operations at Tribhuvan International Airport. The closure of the runway led to delays and disruptions for several incoming flights, many of which were reportedly instructed to remain airborne until the runway was cleared for operations.
Among the affected flights were Air India flight AI 215 arriving from Delhi and Air Arabia flight G9 536 arriving from Sharjah. In addition, flights operated by Drukair from Paro, flydubai services arriving from Dubai, and Nepal Airlines flights coming from Kuala Lumpur and Guangzhou were also reportedly kept waiting in Kathmandu airspace due to the temporary suspension of runway activity.
Meanwhile, videos shared widely on social media showed smoke and flames emerging from the aircraft’s landing gear area as emergency crews and fire engines rushed toward the runway. The visuals quickly spread online, drawing attention to the dramatic rescue operation and the swift response by airport emergency teams.
