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Plane catches fire after leaving runway during takeoff attempt in China

China’s Tibet Airlines said all passengers and crew were evacuated from an Airbus A319 plane that caught fire after an aborted takeoff in the southwest Chinese city of Chongqing on Thursday.

There were no deaths, only minor injuries, among the 113 passengers and nine crew on board, the airline said in a statement.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said 36 people suffered bruises and sprains during the evacuation of flight TV9833 and were sent to local hospitals for examination.

The pilots halted takeoff in accordance with procedures after suffering an abnormality, the CAAC said in a statement, leading to an engine scratch and fire after the plane left the runway.

Emergency plans were activated and investigators rushed to the scene, the aviation regulator added.

The incident came less than two months after the deadly crash of a China Eastern Airlines plane prompted CAAC to launch industry-wide inspections to find potential safety flaws.

A video on social media showed the plane with smoke and flames coming from the left side as passengers and crew walked away.

The plane involved in the incident is a nine-year-old A319, one of the smallest versions of the A320 family. It is powered by CFM56 engines from CFM International, a joint venture between General Electric and Safran.

Airbus said it was aware of reports of the incident and was making every effort to assess the situation.

Tibet Airlines is a regional airline based in Lhasa. It has a fleet of 39 aircraft, including 28 A319s.

Source: CNN Brasil

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