Culture

An Emirates Plane Carrying 300 Passengers Crash Landed In Dubai, And Everyone On Board Survived

Almost five months after 62 people aboard a FlyDubai flight were killed during a violent crash at a Russian airport, an Emirates airplane from India bound for Dubai crash landed at the city’s airport on Wednesday. Not long after the incident, the Boeing 777 erupted into a massive fireball caught on camera by passengers, airport employees, and local news crews. Thankfully, all of the 282 passengers and 18 crew members aboard the Emirates flight had already been evacuated from the crash.

According to the New York Times, Emirates confirmed “all passengers and crew are accounted for and safe.” Flight EK521, which originated from Thiruvananthapuram, India, made its violent landing in Dubai around 12:45 p.m. local time, although no other details were offered by either the airline or the government’s media office.

Per the Daily Mail, however, unconfirmed reports from passengers and nearby witnesses offer more information about what might have led to Flight EK521’s demise. Many who were aboard the airplane told several local and regional outlets that it “came down suddenly and bounced upwards” during the landing. One passenger recalled how quickly the cabin filled with smoke, saying “there was no announcement,” and that an “emergency door was forced open” soon after landing. Another passenger, Shaji Kochikutty, praised the crew for “[opening] all emergency exits and [guiding] us out.”

T.P. Seetharam, the Indian ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, told the Associated Press one of Flight EK521’s crew members was taken to the hospital for treatment. Otherwise, everyone else was fine.

(Via New York Times and Daily Mail)