Plane carrying 126 people catches fire after landing in US

Agencies | Washington                

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

A jetliner carrying 126 people caught fire after landing Tuesday at Miami International Airport when the front landing gear collapsed, but no serious injuries were reported, authorities said.

The fire followed the collapse of that landing gear on a Red Air flight arriving from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Miami-Dade Aviation Department spokesman Greg Chin said in an email to The Associated Press.

The MD-82 jetliner was carrying 126 people, and three of them were taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries, he added. Other passengers were being bussed from the plane to the terminal.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue posted on Twitter that fire crews had placed the fire under control and were mitigating fuel spillage.

TV news images showed the plane appeared to have come to rest in grass beside a runway and that the aircraft and an area all around it were apparently doused with white firefighters’ chemicals. At least three firefighting vehicles were positioned nearby.

The airport was experience some flight delays Tuesday evening, airport officials said in a tweet, adding passengers were instructed to check with airlines for details. The tweet added that the collapse of the front landing gear in the nose of the aircraft appeared to be the cause of the fire.

The National Transportation Safety Board posted that a team would arrive at the airport by Wednesday to investigate the fire.