Turkish Airlines Jet Fire Forces Evacuation at Nepal Airport

A Turkish Airlines commercial jet caught fire shortly after landing in nepal early Monday morning at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. The captain ordered one emergency evacuation on the taxiway after air traffic controllers saw heavy smoke and flames from the right-hand engine.

Tribhuvan International Airport

Passengers and crew left the wide-body aircraft using emergency slides and reached the tarmac as airport fire tenders swarmed the scene. Within ninety seconds of the initial alarm, heavy foam trucks had enveloped the burning engine.

Medical teams treated several individuals for minor abrasions and acute shock. Zero fatalities were reported, and the incident briefly disrupted operations at Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal’s sole primary international gateway.

Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal

Preliminary reports from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said the aircraft had successfully touched down when smoke and flames were observed from the right-hand engine. Turkish Airlines dispatched a team of technical investigators to Kathmandu to determine the root cause of the engine combustion.

The airport’s role in this case is unusually exposed. Tribhuvan International Airport is one of the most difficult landing environments in commercial aviation, and the event renewed scrutiny of aviation safety standards in the region.

For passengers and airport staff, the immediate priority moved from the runway to the investigation team now working in Kathmandu. The next step is the technical review Turkish Airlines sent to Nepal, which will determine whether the fire began in the engine itself or in another part of the aircraft after landing.