Fire breaks out on Turkish Airlines flight in Kathmandu, all on board evacuated safely

277 passengers and 11 crew were evacuated safely following the fire in the right rear tyre of the aircraft, Nepali authorities say

File Photo: An Airbus A330-300 aircraft operated by Turkish Airlines takes off at Cointrin Airport in Geneva, Switzerland, Apr 24, 2026. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

A minor fire broke out on a Turkish Airlines flight that landed on Monday in Nepal's capital of Kathmandu, authorities said, forcing the closure of the airport for an hour until it was brought under control.

All 277 passengers and 11 crew on the Airbus 333 arriving from Istanbul were evacuated safely following the fire in the right rear tyre of the aircraft, Gyanendra Bhul, a spokesperson of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, told Reuters.