Emirates Airlines flight EK521 from Thiruvananthapuram, India crash landed at Dubai International Airport earlier last night, the BBC reports. Amateur video shows the landing gear of the Boeing 777 did not deploy before the nose erupted in flames. The cause of the crash has not yet been established.
Image: Times of Oman
EK521 had 282 passengers from 20 countries and 18 crew on board according to posts made by the airline on Facebook. This included two Australians. It was also able to confirm that, somewhat miraculously, there were no fatalities in the incident, however one firefighter is reported to have been killed. Emergency response crews were able to subdue the flames. In a video statement, Emirates’ Chairman and Chief Executive Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum said the first priority was the well-being of those on board.
All flights at DBX were suspended, and Emirates experienced a four hour delay across its entire network of flights.
For family members who believe a loved one was one board, Emirates has provided the following dedicated phone lines:
UAE – 8002111
UK – 00442034508853
US – 0018113502081
Normal operations at DBX have since resumed, though a number of Emirates flights are still diverted, delayed or cancelled. A list of cancelled flights can be found here. The cause of the incident is still not known.
[BBC]