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Chaos at Kathmandu airport after plane skids off the runway during take-off

EPA
EPA

A plane skidded off the runway at Nepal's only international airport during take-off.

Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), in Kathmandu, remained closed on Friday after a Boeing 737 operated by Malindo Air skidded onto the grassy verge surrounding the tarmac.

All flights in and out of the airport were cancelled, leaving thousands of passengers stranded outside the terminal. A limited service resumed on Friday morning.

Raj Kumar Chettri, general manager of TIA, told the Jakarta Post: "The flight captain aborted take-off at the final moment after he saw an error on the monitor inside the cockpit.

Bystanders look at the grounded Boeing 737 (REUTERS)
Bystanders look at the grounded Boeing 737 (REUTERS)

"We are trying to tow the aircraft. We expect this will take at least four hours."

Malindo Air, a Malaysian airline, has regular flights linking Kuala Lumpur and Kathmandu. Officials said none of the 139 passengers or anyone else was injured in the incident.

Officials said it could take up to four hours to tow the plane (AP)
Officials said it could take up to four hours to tow the plane (AP)

In March 2015, a Turkish Airlines jet skidded off the runway as it landed, forcing Tribhuvan Airport to close for four days.

Additional reporting by the Press Association