No major fire in cargo plane, says Chennai Airport, denies reports
Chennai Airport authorities say the reports of a major fire in a cargo plane were "blown out of proportion" and requested the media not to publish such news
The Chennai Airport authorities on Tuesday (August 12) denied reports of a fire erupting from one of the engines of an inbound international cargo flight in Chennai.
In a statement, Chennai Airport urged the media not to publish such reports. It added that there was a minor spark and smoke in the engine due to oil dirt.
"This refers to the media report today on the alleged major fire accident at Chennai Airport involving a cargo aircraft," Chennai Airport wrote on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle.
"It is hereby stated that there was no major fire in the engine while landing. There was a minor spark and smoke in the engine, which may be due to oil dirt, residues, etc. The aircraft didn't suffer any damage. This has been blown out of proportion. We request the media and press who are business partners of Chennai International Airport to refrain from publishing such reports without confirming from the O/o (Office of) Airport Director, Chennai Airport so as to not create panic among the travelling public," it added.
What earlier report said
The flight was coming from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, according to a PTI report quoting official sources.
Earlier, the news agency reported that the fire erupted in the fourth engine of the cargo flight during landing, prompting the pilots to alert the officials concerned at the Chennai airport.
Though no emergency landing was made, pilots safely landed the aircraft, they said.
Fire tenders that were on standby doused the fire soon after the carrier landed at the city airport, sources added.
A probe is underway into the cause of the fire.