Turkish Airlines plane catches fire on landing in Nepal, no injuries

A Turkish Airlines plane caught fire today while landing at Nepal's main airport. No one was injured in the incident, but the airport was closed.

A plane on a flight from Istanbul landed at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu with fire and smoke coming out of the right landing gear.

Emergency services responded and brought the fire under control, and passengers were safely evacuated, airport officials said.

The airport is closed this morning.

The Airbus 330 was carrying 277 passengers and 11 crew members, the French newspaper Le Figaro reported.

According to a spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, a spark on the plane's right landing gear caused the fire on the aircraft, which arrived from Istanbul.

Several planes en route to Kathmandu have been grounded as officials investigate the incident and try to repair the airport's only runway.

Plane accidents are relatively common in Nepal, as its mountainous terrain and changeable weather make flying conditions difficult, AP reports.

In 2015, a Turkish Airlines plane landed in Kathmandu in dense fog and then skidded off the runway, closing the airport for several days. There were no injuries and the plane was later towed from the airport and turned into a museum.