Iraqi Airways plane evacuated in Saudi after wheel fire

Jeddah : Hundreds of passengers were evacuated safely from an Iraqi Airways plane yesterday after a wheel caught fire on landing in Saudi Arabia.

Emergency crews evacuated 356 passengers “in record time without any casualties”, the official Saudi Press Agency said.

The aircraft was landing at King Abdulaziz International Airport in the Red Sea city of Jeddah when fire broke out on one of the wheels, the agency said.

SPA said the captain radioed the control tower to report the problem and fire crews rushed to the aircraft to extinguish the flames. It said the fire was “limited” in scope.

The airport, one of the Saudi’s busiest, is a key gateway for millions who visit for the yearly hajj and for minor umrah pilgrimages.