Wednesday July 20, 2011

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By Taru Sugandha  ( Assistant Editor )

Police examine the sight after a safe landing

AN AIR INDIA plane, carrying 54 passengers skidded off the runway on Wednesday (July 20) after a tyre burst but no one was injured in the incident, airline sources said.

“A tyre of the Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-700, operating with the call sign AI-9801 burst as soon as it touched down the IAF-controlled Chakeri airport and skidded off the runway with the front wheels screeching to a stop in the muddy areas,” the sources in Kanpur said.

“We have landed in Kanpur now. An emergency landing took place as the plane skidded off the runway into wet mud. It was a very lucky save and the evacuations are going on now. Thank you very much God," noted author Chetan Bhagat, who was travelling on the flight, tweeted immediately after landing.

Some moments later, Bhagat tweeted again: "The plane wheels are barely visible, dug deep into mud. Everyone's out now. Everyone is rattled but safe. Thanks all for your concern."

The airline sources said that no one was injured in the incident and added that the runway, operated by the air force, had a low width.

The aircraft was soon pulled back to the terminal building. While 52 of the 54 passengers were travelling to Kanpur, the rest of them were sent to Lucknow for their onward  journey, the sources said.  The flight, launched about a month ago, operates from Delhi to Kolkata via Kanpur.

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