Khaleej Times

RAS AL KHAIMAH, jan 31: A Dubai-bound Kuwait Airways flight from Kuwait was forced to make an emergency landing at Ras Al Khaimah International Airport in the wee hours yesterday. Barring minor injuries to 13 passengers, all the remaining 106 passengers on board the Airbus A320 aircraft were evacuated safely, said sources.

The emergency “hard landing”, they added, ignited a small fire in the aircraft. But with the airport air traffic control authorities already alerted about some “tehnical faults” being experienced by the flight captain, the Civil Defence, Airport Security, paramedics and other aid and rescue teams were on the tarmac to assist passengers and crew. The pilots on board, they said, had requested immediate emergency landing facilities after detecting the technical faults.

However, there was some fear and panic among the passengers as the aircraft came in for the emergency landing which led to some of them sustaining minor injuries. All the 13 affected passengers were rushed to the Obaidallah Hospital and later discharged after being given the necessary medical treatment.

Meanwhile,  civil aviation authorities in RAK and Dubai confirmed later that the Kuwait Airways flight KAC 675 was forced to land at RAK International Airport yesterday at around 2:30 am after it developed “technical faults”. No other details were immediately available as a probe into the incident is still continuing.

Civil Defence personnel told the Khaleej Times that they succeeded in quickly controlling the fire in the aircraft after it made a hard landing. They added that even before the plane made the landing, the Civil Defence and rescue teams were in position near the emergency landing area.

The aircraft was later towed away from the runway as a precautionary measure.

An investigation team from the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of the UAE was deployed with the assistance of the UAE Air Force Search and Rescue Unit, Department of Civil Aviation of RAK and Dubai, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Interior. A detailed investigation is currently being conducted to determine the cause of the technical snag on board flight KAC 675.