Air India Express engine fire: How 179 passengers survived midair scare in Bengaluru revealed

Passengers aboard an Air India Express flight from Pune to Kochi faced terror as an engine caught fire shortly after departing Bengaluru. The plane, carrying 179 passengers and 6 crew members, made an emergency landing back in Bengaluru after the fire erupted. Despite the frightening experience, all passengers were safely evacuated. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Passengers on an Air India Express flight from Pune to Kochi faced a frightening situation when an engine caught fire shortly after departing from Bengaluru during a scheduled stopover. This harrowing incident, which took place late Saturday evening, forced the aircraft carrying 179 passengers and six crew members to make an emergency return to Bengaluru. As a result, passengers were left stranded in the Karnataka capital for almost 13 hours.

The flight, IX-1132, had taken off from Pune at 8:20 PM, slightly delayed from its scheduled departure at 7:40 PM. After taking off from Bengaluru at 10:50 PM, the engine fire was noticed around 11:00 PM, prompting an immediate return and emergency landing at 11:15 PM. 

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Piyano Thomas, a passenger, described the frightening experience, saying, "We saw fire in the engine through the windows. The flight turned back and landed quickly." Her husband, Jose, added details about the evacuation: "After the plane stopped, the crew opened the doors and deployed the evacuation slides. We were told to leave everything and run towards the field near the runway. It was scary, but the ground and cabin crew did a great job."

The cause of the fire will be determined through thorough investigations conducted by both the airline and the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). A full-scale emergency was declared, and the fire was promptly extinguished, as confirmed by a spokesperson for Bengaluru International Airport Ltd (BIAL) regarding the emergency landing, reported TOI.

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Air India Express's spokesperson praised the crew's handling of the situation, noting that the evacuation was carried out without any injuries to the passengers. 

The passengers initially received assurances of an alternative flight. However, these plans were later scrapped, causing frustration among the stranded travellers. Eventually, the airline provided fresh boarding passes to the passengers.