Beijing [China], September 10 : A Singapore-bound China flight, carrying 146 passengers and nine crew members, encountered smoke in the cabin, The Global Times reported on Sunday citing Air China. The investigation is underway.
An Air China flight CA403 encountered smoke in the forward cargo hold and lavatory before landing at Changi Airport at around 4:15 pm, and the passengers and crew have been evacuated safely, the airport said.
In one video posted on social media, smoke can be seen engulfing the cabin while an air stewardess is heard giving instructions to the passengers on their next steps. The fire in the left engine has since been put out after landing.
Air China Flight CA403 issued code 7700 when it was about to arrive in Singapore, indicating an emergency, according to The Global Times citing media reports.
One passenger said on the Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo that the fire occurred during the plane's descent and that it went on for about 40 minutes.
After the plane was in danger, the crew handled the situation in accordance with procedures and organized passengers to implement timely evacuation. Changi Airport in Singapore also launched emergency procedures, according to Air China.
In addition, passengers are seen sliding down an emergency slide and running away from the plane in another video posted online. A man evacuates with his luggage, prompting netizens on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu to call him out for doing so.
"People like him should be grounded permanently, as he's risking other people's lives," said one netizen.
The stewardesses were very professional in calming the passengers, with most of the passengers calm and stable in the face of the emergency, said a passenger who was on the plane.
Air China and Changi Airport Group are also assisting passengers and crew affected by the incident. Due to this incident, Runway 3 at Changi Airport will be temporarily closed and flight operations may be affected, as per the Global Times.
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