Bangladesh News

A Dhaka-bound Bangladesh Biman airliner suffered a wheel failure during takeoff, forcing Dubai International Airport, the busiest in the Middle East, to suspend its operations for about eight hours yesterday.

No severe injury was reported in the accident involving the BG 006 flight on London-Dubai-Dhaka route. Some 14 of its 236 passengers and crew received mere cuts and bruises while being evacuated, Biman sources said.

The airport resumed its normal flight operations at 4:30pm[Bangladesh time].

A Biman Bangladesh official told The Daily Star that they were working to arrange for an alternative flight to bring the stranded passengers back home last night.

The expensive Airbus of the national flag carrier was bought in 1996.

Two committees have been formed to investigate the cause of the accident and to assess losses. A team led by Chief of Flight Safety Captain Ismail was already off to Dubai last night.

Biman officials said primary information suggests that mechanical glitches were responsible for the takeoff mishap that occurred at about 8:30am[Bangladesh time].

“The aeroplane was taxing down the runway but just before lifting off, the pilot found the nose wheel malfunctioning,” a Biman official told The Daily Star last night.

The passengers and crew were quickly evacuated and those with minor injuries were taken to a hospital, the officials said.

With 218 passengers aboard, the flight was to reach Dhaka at 12:45pm.

The insurance companies–Messrs AON in London and Messrs CTC–have already been informed of the incident.

According to the official website of Dubai airport, the closure affected a total of 71 flights, of which 36 flights that were ex-Dubai were cancelled while 35 incoming flights were diverted to airports in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain, and Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE, and to Muscat (Oman), Kuwait and Shiraz (Iran).