Nepal plane makes emergency landing after 'indication of fire' in engine

KATHMANDU – A Shree Airlines Dash 8 turboprop aircraft made an emergency landing in Nepal on Thursday after an “indication of fire” in one of its engines, officials said.

The plane was on a scheduled flight from Kathmandu to Bhairahawa in south-west Nepal with 78 people, including the crew, on board.

“The pilot reported an indication of fire in the right engine and the plane was diverted to Kathmandu immediately,” Shree Airlines spokesman Anil Manandhar told Reuters.

Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal spokesman Jagannath Niroula said the plane landed safely in Kathmandu and all the passengers and crew were safe.

“There was no indication of any fire when it landed,” Mr Niroula said.

Mountainous Nepal, home to eight of the world’s 14 highest peaks, including Mount Everest, has a history of frequent air crashes.

Many of them are blamed on difficult terrain and sudden changes in weather conditions.

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In January, an ATR 72 aircraft owned by Yeti Airlines carrying 72 people crashed in good weather before its scheduled landing in the tourist town of Pokhara, 125km west of Kathmandu.

Rescuers were able to recover 71 bodies, with one person still missing and presumed dead.

One of the plane’s pilots said before the Yeti Airlines crash that there was no power from the aircraft’s engines, a preliminary report said in February.