Web Desk: Passengers were evacuated from a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft at Jeddah airport after ground staff reported a suspected fire in one of its engines, prompting the pilot to activate emergency evacuation procedures.
The aircraft, which had arrived from Karachi, had landed normally and was parked at the airport when the incident occurred, according to a PIA spokesperson.
The airline later said an inspection found no evidence of an actual fire.
According to sources, the alert was raised while the aircraft was at its parking stand. After being informed of the suspected engine fire, the pilot initiated an evacuation as a precaution.
Airport firefighting personnel responded quickly and reached the aircraft. PIA’s Jeddah officials also alerted airport authorities and security personnel, who subsequently sought details from the airline’s crew.
The airline said the pilot followed established safety procedures and deployed the aircraft’s emergency evacuation slides to allow passengers to leave.
Some passengers exited through the jet bridge, while others used the emergency slides.
PIA said all passengers were safely evacuated and no one was injured during the operation.
The airline’s spokesperson clarified that the aircraft had completed a normal landing and that the initial concern came from ground personnel who suspected a fire in one of the engines while the aircraft was being parked.
Following a detailed inspection, authorities found that the suspected fire had not occurred.
The incident nevertheless disrupted the aircraft’s next scheduled journey from Jeddah to Lahore.
PIA said the flight was expected to face a delay of between 20 and 22 hours as the aircraft underwent further checks and operational arrangements were made.
Around 40 passengers were accommodated in a hotel, while the remaining passengers were allowed to leave and make their own arrangements.
The airline did not report any injuries or other passenger safety issues arising from the evacuation.
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