A Russian passenger plane caught fire after landing at Antalya Airport in Turkey on Sunday, forcing the evacuation of 89 passengers and six crew members. The incident involved an Azimuth Airlines Sukhoi Superjet 100 arriving from Russia’s Sochi International Airport.
The Turkish transport ministry confirmed that all passengers and crew were safely evacuated.
Videos circulating on social media show terrified passengers fleeing the burning aircraft on the runway, with flames and smoke billowing from its engine. Some passengers were seen using the inflatable emergency slides to escape.
The fire, which appeared to originate from the plane’s left engine, was extinguished by firefighters. Azimuth Airlines said that the aircraft encountered a rough landing due to wind shear.Despite the dramatic events, no injuries were reported. “All passengers were evacuated without injury, and thankfully, no one was harmed,” said Suat Seyitoglu, deputy governor of Antalya, as quoted by the New York Post.
Landings at Antalya Airport were temporarily suspended until 3:00 am local time (12:00 am GMT) to allow the aircraft to be removed from the runway.
Russia’s aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya, has launched an investigation into the incident.
The Turkish State Meteorological Service had issued a severe weather alert for the region, warning of heavy storms shortly before the incident.
