More than 100 passengers were stranded at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport early on Thursday after a water tanker hit a Qatar Airways aircraft that was preparing to leave for Doha, PTI reported. No one was hurt in the incident, officials said.
The incident took place at around 2.20 am when passengers were boarding the plane. “The passengers were safely evacuated,” airport director Atul Dixit told the Hindustan Times. The Directorate General of Aviation has ordered a probe into the accident.
The aircraft was grounded for inspection after the incident and the driver of the tanker was suspended. Preliminary inspection suggested that the tanker’s brakes were not working properly, The Indian Express reported, quoting an unidentified official.
“All passengers will be accommodated in the next flight scheduled for 3 am on Friday,” Corporate Communications official at the airport, Priti Tiwari, told NDTV.
In October, a Dubai-bound flight hit a compound wall at Tiruchirapalli International Airport and was diverted to Mumbai.
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