Turkish Airlines flight tire bursts on Kathmandu landing

A Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul experienced a tire burst and fire in its landing gear while landing at Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Monday morning, prompting the safe evacuation of all passengers and crew with no injuries reported.

The incident involved flight TK726, an Airbus A330 carrying 278 passengers and 11 crew members, which touched down around 6:40 a.m. local time. Witnesses and officials described smoke and flames emanating from the right landing gear after a tire exploded during the landing rollout. Flight crew initiated an emergency evacuation using slides, and airport fire and rescue teams quickly contained the blaze with fire engines, preventing further damage.

"All passengers are safely evacuated," said SP Rajkumar Silawal of airport security. Emergency protocols were activated immediately, with coordination among airline staff, air traffic control, and ground responders ensuring a swift response. The runway was blocked for about an hour during safety inspections and aircraft securing, leading to brief holds for incoming flights. Operations resumed fully afterward.

Among the passengers were several United Nations representatives,...