Passengers evacuated from Turkish Airlines jet after blaze erupts in landing gear upon arrival in Nepal

A Turkish Airlines flight arriving at Kathmandu airport on Monday experienced a fire in its landing gear, prompting the safe evacuation of hundreds of passengers and crew, according to officials.

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The plane, which was carrying 277 passengers and 11 crew from Istanbul, had its right landing gear catch fire during landing, as confirmed by Gyanendra Bhul, a spokesman for Nepal's civil aviation authority.

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Bhul noted that the fire was visible during the landing and stated that investigations into the incident are currently ongoing, while also confirming that all passengers are safe.

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The incident led to the closure of the airport's only runway for nearly two hours in the morning, but it has since been reopened, Bhul said.

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Passengers were evacuated from the plane via emergency slides after smoke was observed coming from the landing gear during taxi, according to Turkish Airlines.

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A technical inspection of the aircraft has been initiated by the airline's authorized teams, said Yahya Ustun, a spokesman for Turkish Airlines, in a social media post.

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Initial examinations suggest that the smoke was caused by a technical malfunction in a hydraulic pipe, Ustun added.

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An additional flight has been scheduled for the return leg of the service, Turkish Airlines said.

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Nepal, with its challenging terrain and remote runways, poses a significant challenge to pilots, with the country being home to some of the world's most tricky runways, flanked by snow-capped peaks.

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Last year, government officials announced plans to install new radar and weather monitoring systems, prompted by a string of crashes and the European Union's decision to blacklist all Nepalese airlines.

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In 2015, a Turkish Airlines aircraft with 224 passengers skidded off the Kathmandu runway, resulting in a runway closure for four days and the cancellation of scores of international flights, although the passengers were unhurt.