Flydubai catches fire in midair

ALBAWABA - An Emirati plane caught fire minutes after taking off from Nepal before it returned and continued its flight normally after the fire was brought under control.

Emirates airline Flydubai said Monday that one of its planes was hit by birds on take-off on a flight from Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, to Dubai International Airport.

One of the engines of the Boeing 737-800 caught fire shortly after take-off, before the fire was brought under control, with 167 passengers on board.

A flydubai spokesperson said that flydubai flight FZ 576, landed then safely at Dubai International Airport at 00:11 a.m. local time, pointing out that the necessary measures have been taken to ensure the safety and security of the aircraft.

"The plane landed normally in Dubai and the plane will be checked. The safety of our passengers and crew is our priority. We apologize for any inconvenience to our passengers as a result of changes in travel schedules", the spokesperson concluded.

The incident did not record any significant injuries, but eyewitnesses revealed that they saw fire on board the plane, which caused the passengers to panic and fear.