25 hurt as Jet flight evacuated, no trace of fire

MUMBAI - Around 25 passengers sustained injuries during an emergency evacuation of a Jet Airways flight after a fire alarm was raised Friday night. However, officials Saturday said there were no traces of any fire in the engine.

The Jet Airways Mumbai-Chennai flight 9W-2302 with 145 passengers, including six crew members, was scheduled for departure around 9 p.m. when some passengers noticed smoke emanating from the left engine of the craft.

The plane had already pushed back from stand A6 and was on the taxi-way when the suspected fire alarm was raised.

The flight commander alerted the Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) authorities for help, aborted plans for the journey and declared a precautionary emergency following the fire alarm.

Even as the authorities were in the process of reaching the plane and moving ladders to facilitate evacuation, some of the passengers on board panicked and attempted to jump out of the aircraft onto the tarmac.

An emergency evacuation exercise using chutes for sliding down from the emergency exits was used in which around 25 passengers sustained minor injuries, while at least two sustained suspected fractures, airport officials said.

While two passengers, who complained of fractures, were admitted to a private hospital, another 10 were rushed to Nanavati Hospital, Vile Parle, for further examination.

The remaining passengers were treated by MIAL doctors of the medical teams at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.

Around midnight, Jet Airways operated another flight to Chennai that departed with 117 passengers.

The stranded aircraft was subject to thorough checks but there were no visible traces of any fire on the engine, a spokesperson for the airline said.