Air India on Wednesday diverted nine of its Dubai-bound flights from different Indian cities to nearby airports like Sharjah and Al Maktoum International Airport. We left by going down the emergency slides and as we were leaving on the runway we could see the whole plane catch fire.
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This was after operations resumed at the crash hit airport later in 3rd August late night.
“In the wake of the Emirates aircraft crash-landing at Dubai airport yesterday and in accordance with the instructions from the Dubai Airport Authorities, all our flights to and from Dubai scheduled for today have been cancelled”, SpiceJet said in a statement.
Passengers said the pilot warned them there was a problem with the landing gear and he would be making emergency landing.
“There have been accidents where 777s have been very badly damaged during a landing and yet we haven’t had a fire like that”, he said.
Three hundred people, mostly Indians, had a miraculous escape on Wednesday when a packed Emirates flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Dubai crash-landed and exploded on the runway at Dubai, shutting down one of the world’s busiest airports and killing one of the firefighters.
Meanwhile Thursday, mourners in the emirate of Ras al-Khaimah buried the body of firefighter Jassim al-Balooshi, who was killed responding to the crash-landing.
Images circulated the internet shortly after the incident, showing the plane bursting into flames at Dubai Airport.
Emirates Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed paid tribute to the firefighter at a press conference, adding 13 people suffered minor injuries.
A new video posted on Twitter by Rehan Quereshi, shows oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling in the smoke filled cabin and the panic-stricken passengers hurriedly grabbed their bags.
That call may be a little late, considering the worldwide attention on the accident.
In the footage, some passengers frantically reach for dangling oxygen masks even though the plane has come to a stop.
A voice can be heard telling passengers to leave their luggage behind and to evacuate the aircraft.
Another crew member runs past empty rows of seats, likely checking for anyone left behind.
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The video showed several passengers attempting to take suitcases from overhead lockers and collect their personal belongings as the Boeing 777’s right engine burned. “Jump! Jump!”, says an unidentified woman.
