The incident occurred on board a Swiss International Air Lines in the early hours of the morning on Sunday, April 26
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NEED TO KNOW
- Five people were injured after a plane had to abort takeoff when the engine caught fire in the early hours of the morning on Sunday, April 26
- The Swiss International Air Lines flight had been due to fly from Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India to Zurich Airport in Switzerland when the incident occurred
- Those on board had to evacuate on the runway via emergency slides
Four passengers and a crew member on board a Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) flight have reportedly been injured after the plane's engine caught fire during takeoff and passengers had to be evacuated on the runway.
The Airbus A330 had been due to fly from Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India to Zurich Airport in Switzerland shortly after 1:00 a.m. local time on Sunday, April 26. However, the flight aborted takeoff after the fire, per local outlets The Times of India, The Economic Times and NDTV.
According to The Times of India, the plane had reached a speed of almost 120 mph on the runway when the engine failed, prompting the pilots to make the decision to evacuate.
Credit: Amal KS/Hindustan Times via Getty
There were 232 passengers, including four infants, and 13 crew members on flight LX147 in total, the newspaper added.
The runway was closed for about three hours to allow passengers to depart, and the aircraft was later removed. Those on board departed the plane via emergency slides, with four of the injured individuals taken to Medanta Hospital in the nearby city of Gurgaon, The Times of India reported, while the cabin crew member suffered a sprained ankle.
Two of those taken to the hospital later left against medical advice, one was discharged after initial treatment and one remained under evaluation in the emergency room as of Monday, April 27, the outlet reported, citing sources.
The airport said on X that it had declared "a full emergency" amid the incident, and confirmed that it had followed all safety protocols, while SWISS said in a statement, per The Economic Times, that the airline had "established a task force."
The airline’s statement included, “Shortly after takeoff, just after 1 a.m. local time in India, an issue occurred with one of the engines. The crew rejected the takeoff and, following an assessment of the situation, decided as a precaution to evacuate the aircraft,” per The Economic Times.
SWISS continued, “Passengers are currently being assisted. Local teams are working intensively to arrange rebookings or hotel accommodation for our passengers,” according to the outlet.
“They have received contact cards to ensure we can reach them reliably. Such a situation is stressful for everyone involved. Our local teams are taking care of our passengers on site and are in direct contact with them. We are working closely with the local authorities,” the statement added, The Economic Times reported.
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Officials said, per The Times of India, that India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will investigate the incident. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is also investigating and has informed its European equivalent, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
PEOPLE has reached out to Indira Gandhi International Airport, Swiss International Air Lines and the AAIB for comment, but didn't immediately hear back.