PIA plane escapes mid-air disaster near Lahore

LAHORE - A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight heading to Saudi Arabia from Sialkot on Wednesday made an emergency landing in Lahore after smoke was detected by the plane's computer systems, officials said.

PIA flight PK-755, which departed Sialkot for Riyadh at 6am, made an emergency landing at Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport after smoke was detected in the cargo compartment of the Airbus A-320 jet, airport sources said.

All the passengers onboard were safely evacuated after the landing, and no injuries were reported.
PIA spokesman Mashood Tajwar, however, rejected reports that the plane made an emergency landing or that it had caught fire mid-air.

Tajwar while talking to media said the pilot had decided to make a "technical landing" after receiving a smoke warning signal soon after takeoff. "Keeping in mind the safety precautions, the pilot landed the aircraft in Lahore," he said, adding that the plane had landed normally.

The aircraft is undergoing a full check-up and the flight will leave for Riyadh after getting clearance from the engineering department, he said.-Online