A technical malfunction on board an Airbus flying from Thailand to Singapore caused a fire and panic among tourists. The plane made an emergency landing. The Thaiger portal reported the incident.
The accident happened last Tuesday on a Scoot flight, a Singaporean low-cost airline that is a subsidiary of the country’s national carrier, Singapore Airlines. The Airbus A321 departed from Bangkok at 3:56 p.m. and was supposed to arrive in Singapore at 7:15 p.m., but was forced to return to the Thai capital. But earlier, the liner made at least four rounds near Koh Si Chang island in the south of the kingdom. As representatives reported, the decision to return was made as a precautionary measure.
It is known that 230 passengers and eight crew members were on board the plane. After landing in Bangkok at 17:09 local time, the frightened tourists were given cold drinks. After the fault was rectified, the aircraft took off from Suvarnabhumi Airport and arrived in Singapore at 10.26 pm.
Eyewitnesses filmed the smoky cabin on their phone cameras, and one of them, who wished to remain anonymous, said the following: 30 minutes after takeoff, the pilot announced a ventilation problem and the need to turn back. “There was a smell of dampness as if something had leaked,” he also recalled.
After the incident, representatives of Scoot apologized for the inconvenience caused to passengers. “The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority. We will continue to assist our customers wherever possible,” the airline said.
However, this incident is not the first fire on a Scoot flight in recent times. In January, two tourists were injured on a flight from Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan to Singapore. The cause of the injuries was the ignition of an overheated external battery belonging to one of the injured passengers. The fire was extinguished and the ship returned to the airport runway. “The owner of the bank and his companion, who received minor burns on their fingers, were given medical assistance. We are rescheduling the flight and will provide accommodation and food to the affected passengers,” the airline said at the time.