A Boeing which was carrying 468 people was forced to carry out a emergency landing in Indonesia after the engine caught fire suddenly immediately after takeoff. The Garuda Indonesia jet was taking off from the Indonesian city of Makassar for Saudi Arabia – with many passengers heading on a pilgrimage to Mecca – when the crash occurred at 5.15pm (local time) on Wednesday 15 May, the company said aerial.
Dramatic videos posted on social media apparently show the engine of the Boeing 747-400 plane engulfed in flames just as its wheels lifted off the runway. The pilot immediately returned to the departure airport, according to the airline. “The decision was made by the pilot in command immediately after takeoff, considering engine problems that required further examination after fire sparks were observed in one of the engines“, Garuda President Irfan Setiaputra told Agence France-Presse.
There were 450 passengers and 18 crew members on board, including pilgrims for the hajj, an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. No injuries were reported, the airline said.
The plane has been grounded while investigators investigate the cause.
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