Emergency landing at Hong Kong airport after report of fire on plane
Ambulances and fire engines rush to scene, but no fire or casualties reported
An aeroplane carrying more than 100 people made an emergency landing at Hong Kong International Airport on Wednesday afternoon, after a fire alarm went off on board.
The VietJet plane, an Airbus 320, had been flying from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, when smoke was detected in the cargo compartment.
Fourteen fire engines and 16 ambulances rushed to the scene after getting the call soon after 1.30pm, according to the Fire Services Department.
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A department spokeswoman said the plane “landed safely at 2.09pm and no smoke or flames were found on board”.
She said there were no casualties. The fire department was investigating the cause of the incident.
An Airport Authority spokesman said buses were arranged to carry passengers to the airport’s terminal building. He said runway operations were not affected.
A spokeswoman for the Civil Aviation Department said flight VJ885 was in Hong Kong airspace when smoke was suspected to be coming from its cargo compartment. The pilot then requested to land at the airport, she said.
A VietJet spokesman said it was confirmed to be a false alarm after an inspection.
All the passengers departed for Ho Chi Minh City on the same plane at about 6pm on Wednesday.
The spokesman said: “It is the procedure for flight crew to land at an alternate airport for a technical check whenever problem warnings have been found. This is a common practice.”
