Passengers taken off plane in runway emergency
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Your support makes all the difference.More than 300 passengers were evacuated from a Pakistan International Airlines flight today when it overheated at Manchester Airport, police said.
Flight PK789, a Boeing 777 from Karachi, landed at Manchester at 9.03am for refuelling on its way to Toronto, Canada.
As it was taxi-ing along the runway the aircraft behind reported smoke coming from the left undercarriage.
Firefighters were called and the 323 passengers and 12 crew on board were rushed off the aircraft using emergency slides.
Initially it was thought that the aircraft had caught fire, but police later confirmed that it had overheated.
A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: "The Fire Brigade attended but there was no evidence that a fire actually started, although it is believed overheating may have occurred in the undercarriage.
"The passengers and crew were taken to Terminal 2 where they have been placed in a reception room, while the airport and airline make alternative arrangements.
"A small number of passengers were treated at the scene for minor injuries."
An airline spokeswoman added: "Everyone on board is fine."
Manchester Airport was closed for 15 minutes after the incident.
A spokeswoman for the National Air Traffic Services (Nats) said: "One runway has reopened and the second one will be operational again when the fire services have finished at the plane."She added: "The aircraft landed perfectly OK, but as it was taxi-ing, the aircraft behind it reported smoke coming from the port undercarriage.
"Nats at Manchester reported an aircraft ground incident and by the time the fire brigade got to the plane, passengers were already being evacuated."
Manchester was the scene of one of the worst UK aviation disasters when a British Airtours plane caught fire in windy conditions on take off in August 1985 and more than 50 people died.
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