Finnish passenger contradicts airline’s claim of no injuries in Nepal plane fire

A Turkish Airlines plane caught fire upon landing at Nepal’s main airport on Monday, with a Finnish passenger contradicting the airline’s statement that no one was injured in the incident.

According to the airline, the flight from Istanbul carrying 277 passengers and 11 crew members landed safely, and no injuries were reported. However, Johanna Kurki, a Finnish specialist working at Finland’s embassy in Kathmandu, described the situation as chaotic.

Kurki, who was on board, said the plane stopped abruptly instead of taxiing to the parking area as usual. She noticed people outside pointing at the aircraft before an evacuation announcement was made.

“The emergency exits and slides were opened. Some passengers panicked, making it difficult to exit quickly,” Kurki told Finnish broadcaster Yle.

She sustained scrapes and bruises during the emergency evacuation when the steep slide caused a rough landing on the tarmac. Kurki sought treatment at a local clinic, where she also observed similar injuries among other passengers.

Passengers were left waiting for their luggage in the baggage terminal for about four hours, with no one checking on their well-being, Kurki added.

The cause of the fire remains unclear.