Ryanair plane's wing explodes into fireball as passengers urgently evacuate down emergency slides
The engine of the wing was on fire
The engine of the wing was on fire
Nearly 200 passengers on a Ryanair flight had to use the emergency slide to evacuate a plane after it caught fire.
The flight was ready for take-off at Brindisi Airport in southern Italy when flames came from the engine.
Emergency services attended the scene which aborted its departure, and the 184 passengers were evacuated using the inflatable slide.
The airport in the south of the country has been forced to close due to the emergency.
The engine of the wing was on fire
A spokesperson told The Mirror: "Aeroporti di Puglia announces that due to a problem with a departing aircraft, it was necessary to close the Salento Airport in Brindisi.
"The problem, which occurred when the aircraft was already aligned at the head for take-off, required the evacuation of passengers via emergency slides.
"All operations were carried out with maximum safety for passengers and crew. The passengers are already at the airport where they are being assisted by Aeroporti di Puglia personnel.
"The company's technicians are working on the interventions within their competence and necessary so that Aeroporti di Puglia can proceed with the subsequent checks on the usability of the runway and proceed with the reopening of the airport."
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Salento Airport in Brindisi (file pic)
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A spokesperson for Ryanair said: "Flight FR8826 from Brindisi to Turin (3rd Oct) was delayed this morning after cabin crew observed fumes on the outside of the aircraft.
"Passengers were disembarked without incident and returned to the terminal by bus. We sincerely apologise to affected passengers for this delay, and a spare aircraft will operate Flight FR8826 from Brindisi to Turin later this morning."
It comes as "all four" of a Ryanair plane's tyres burst as it landed at Bergamo's Orio al Serio airport, near Milan on Tuesday.
Dramatic pictures show the passenger plane with its tyres missing and metal wheels ground down after apparently scraping along the runway.
Onlookers who had been on another flight have claimed their pilot told them the episode happened due to a "bad landing", though this was not been confirmed by the airline or airport, reports The Mirror