A firefighter lost his life while attending to an accident, as stated by the chairman and CEO of the airline, Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
He also reported that 10 individuals were admitted to the hospital following the incident at Dubai International Airport. Emirates confirmed that all 282 passengers and 18 crew members were safe and accounted for after the accident, although they did not disclose specific details regarding the event.
There were indications of wind shear, or a sudden downdraft, occurring at the airport during the aircraft’s descent; however, it remains uncertain whether this had any impact on the incident, as noted by the airline’s CEO.
Emirates, the largest airline in the Middle East based in Dubai, reported that the crash-landing occurred at 12:45 p.m. local time as Flight EK521 was approaching from Thiruvananthapuram, a city in southern India. Social media users indicated that smoke was visible at the site, and photographs depicted a burning aircraft on the runway of the airport.
A passenger named Iype Vallikadan mentioned that the pilot had informed them of an issue with the landing gear as the aircraft approached Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, and that an emergency landing would be executed, according to the Associated Press.
Following the landing, the cabin crew promptly opened all emergency exits, facilitating the evacuation of all passengers within minutes, as reported by the news agency. Among the passengers were six U.S. citizens, as stated by the airline.
Additionally, there were 226 individuals from India, 24 from Britain, 11 from the Emirates, six from Saudi Arabia, five from Turkey, and four from Ireland. Two passengers each hailed from Australia, Brazil, Germany, Malaysia, and Thailand, while one each came from Croatia, Egypt, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lebanon, the Philippines, South Africa, Switzerland, and Tunisia.
Boeing, the American aircraft manufacturer, announced that a technical team is prepared to assist in the investigation alongside the National Transportation Safety Board. Saif Mohamed Al Suwaidi, the director general of Dubai’s General Civil Aviation Authority, stated via Twitter that the agency has activated the investigation team in collaboration with Emirates Airlines and Dubai Airport.
He emphasized that the primary focus is on ensuring the safety and well-being of all passengers and cabin crew at this time. Established in 1985, Emirates has maintained a commendable safety record. Dubai International Airport, the busiest in the region, served 78 million passengers last year. The airport reported that other flights experienced delays of approximately six hours but resumed operations shortly before 7 p.m. local time.
