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Emirates plane crash-lands at Dubai airport Emirates plane crash-lands at Dubai airport
(about 1 hour later)
An Emirates plane has crash-landed at Dubai International Airport. All 300 people on board were able to escape from the burning aircraft.An Emirates plane has crash-landed at Dubai International Airport. All 300 people on board were able to escape from the burning aircraft.
The plane appeared to have landed on its belly, and images showed thick black smoke rising into the sky. The cause of the incident is not known.The plane appeared to have landed on its belly, and images showed thick black smoke rising into the sky. The cause of the incident is not known.
The Boeing 777 was flying to Dubai from the southern Indian state of Kerala.The Boeing 777 was flying to Dubai from the southern Indian state of Kerala.
The Dubai government media office said all passengers were evacuated safely and no injuries have been reported.The Dubai government media office said all passengers were evacuated safely and no injuries have been reported.
Flights from the airport, which were suspended, are due to resume at 18:30 local time (14:30 GMT). Flights to and from the airport were suspended for several hours but have now resumed.
A passenger on board the plane told Reuters that the experience was terrifying.
"As we were landing there was smoke coming out in the cabin," said Sharon Maryam Sharji.
"People were screaming and we had a very hard landing.
"We left by going down the emergency slides and as we were leaving on the runway we could see the whole plane catch fire."
Emirates airline said there were 282 passengers and 18 crew on board from 20 nationalities, most of them Indian, with 24 Britons and 11 people from the United Arab Emirates.Emirates airline said there were 282 passengers and 18 crew on board from 20 nationalities, most of them Indian, with 24 Britons and 11 people from the United Arab Emirates.
"Our main priority now is the safety and well-being of all involved," the airline said on Twitter. Analysis by Richard Westcott, Transport correspondent
Passengers on planes landing at the airport at the time looked on in horror.
"I couldn't believe my eyes. I was absolutely horrified,", Sarah-Louise Sherwood told the BBC.
"The slides came out but they were blowing all over the place. People managed to escape - from what I saw - before there was a big explosion, with flames everywhere. We had taxied and stopped right next to where it was happening and people in my plane were just saying 'oh my god' and 'get us off this plane'," she said.
Analysis By Richard Westcott, Transport Correspondent
When you look at the pictures, it seems incredible that no-one was killed in this accident.When you look at the pictures, it seems incredible that no-one was killed in this accident.
It is a testament to the training that airline crew are put through on a regular basis. Pilots practise emergencies in the simulator every six months throughout their careers. Cabin staff practise getting everyone down the inflatable slides without a panic. As is usual following a big accident, there are lots of unconfirmed reports out there speculating about what happened.
We still do not have all the facts, but it appears that the Emirates plane had a problem with the landing gear. We do not know if the wheels collapsed when it hit the ground or failed to come down and lock in the first place. The aircraft is sitting on the ground without its landing gear, but it is not clear why the wheels are not down.
An experienced Boeing pilot has told me that the crew may not have known what they were dealing with as they approached the runway. They may have been relying on the people in the control tower to tell them if their wheels looked down or not. Some reports suggest the crew were making a normal, rather than an emergency approach, when air traffic controllers told them to abandon the landing and start climbing again, for unknown reasons.
Their main priority would have been to land, then switch the engines off as quickly as possible before getting everyone out. The answers should come out in the next few days.
Clearly, everything worked. Whatever the cause, it is a testament to the crew that they got everyone off the plane safely.
No cause has so far been established for the crash, but images shared on social media suggest a belly landing, which occurs when an aircraft lands without its landing gear fully extended, using its underside to come to a halt. Richard Westcott: Why air travel is safer than ever
The live air traffic monitor Flightradar24 posted more details of the aircraft involved in the incident. Flight EK521, direct from Thiruvananthapuram to Dubai, is popular with hundreds of thousands of Kerala residents who work in the Gulf countries.
The live air traffic monitor Flightradar24 posted more details of the aircraft involved in the incident:
Emirates is the Middle East's biggest airline, and has an excellent safety record.Emirates is the Middle East's biggest airline, and has an excellent safety record.
It ranked seventh in a survey of the world's safest airlines by AirlineRatings.com, an independent plane safety website.It ranked seventh in a survey of the world's safest airlines by AirlineRatings.com, an independent plane safety website.
Flight EK521, direct from Thiruvananthapuram to Dubai, is popular with hundreds of thousands of Kerala residents who work in the Gulf countries.
Dubai International Airport is a major transport hub, one of the world's busiest for international passengers, operating with only two runways.Dubai International Airport is a major transport hub, one of the world's busiest for international passengers, operating with only two runways.
Are you at Dubai Airport? Have you been affected? Tell us your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.Are you at Dubai Airport? Have you been affected? Tell us your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
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