Emirates flight, EK521 travelling from Trivandrum International Airport in Thiruvananthapuram, India to Dubai has reportedly burst into flames in an emergency landing at Dubai International Airport, here on Wednesday at around 12.45 PM. A firefighter, Jasim Issa Mohammed Hassan died after the plane, Boeing 777-300 A6-EMW, burst into flames following the emergency landing.  All the passengers and the crew had been evacuated just before the plane gave way to the flames. It took almost two hours to fully extinguish the fire caused by the crash landing of the airplane.

There were 282 passengers and 18 crew on board including 226 Indians, 24 British people and 11 Emirates.  Around 14 people have been taken to the hospital.

There has been no reports abut the cause of the emergency landing so far.

All the flights had been diverted either to Maktoum International Airport or Sharjah International Airport.

An airline spokesperson has said that, “Our main priority at this time is the safety and wellbeing of all involved and full co-operation is being extended to the authorities and emergency services managing the situation.”

Around 7 PM, the Dubai International Airport was revived for boarding.

Al Arabiya News Channel correspondent in Dubai Abdullah Al-Muttawa said that smoke was visible before the airplane made an emergency landing.

Kuwait-based former pilot Sami al-Nusuf, told Al Arabiya, “Emirates airlines has proven itself from past incidents in handling high pressure situations. Its record has been clean so far.”

Nusuf was questioned about the possibilities of evacuating so many people at the same time. he said, “What happens is that multiple trials and scenarios are practiced by the cabin crew before they are allowed to take flights. They are trained both in getting passengers out within 90 seconds and in handling widespread panic.”

According to the Associated Press Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, was bereaving the firefighter who died in the incident.

The crash landing comes nearly four months after an airplane belonging to FlyDubai crashed and gave way to flames during landing in Rostov-on-Don, in southern Russia, killing all 61 people on-board.

Emirates has been one of the leading airplane companies with a seven star rating and a good safety record.