Dozens of passengers have had a miraculous escape after their plane hit a water buffalo moments before take-off in India. As the
Boeing 737 picked up speed on the runway, it ran over the stray animal, causing extensive damage to the aircraft's engine. No one was injured in Thursday's collision.
"If the plane had taken off after this, we would have crashed. Thank God we were saved," said
Prabhakar Joshi, a passenger on the
SpiceJet flight from Surat to Delhi.
The incident has sparked a nationwide review of airport security, and police are investigating how the water buffalo was able to access the runway unnoticed. This is not the first time a stray animal has caused a travel scare in India. Last month, a jackal was spotted on a runway in Kochi, and in 2012, a pilot had to abort a flight because a pig was blocking the tarmac in Mumbai.
SpiceJet has suspended all its services from Surat indefinitely. The city, in Gujarat state, is known for its bustling trade in diamonds and textiles.
No comments:
Post a Comment