PIA denies the fire report, while a private TV channel claims passengers were evacuated through emergency exits using evacuation slides.
KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 17th Sep, 2026) Passengers evacuated a PIA aircraft arriving in Jeddah from Karachi after a report of fire in engine number two while the aircraft was parked.
However, a PIA spokesperson denied that a fire had broken out.
According to a private tv channel report, the incident occurred while the aircraft was parked at a stand at Jeddah Airport. After receiving information about a fire in the engine, the pilot initiated an emergency evacuation.
Sources said passengers were safely evacuated through emergency exits after the slides were deployed, although a few passengers sustained minor injuries. They were shifted to the Jeddah Airport clinic for medical examination and treatment.
Officials from Jeddah Airport’s fire department also arrived at the aircraft with fire engines.
PIA officials in Jeddah immediately informed all airport authorities and the security department, while Jeddah Airport authorities also questioned the PIA crew about the incident.
On the other hand, the PIA spokesperson said the aircraft had made a normal landing at Jeddah Airport and was parked at the jetty when ground staff suspected a fire in one of its engines.
The pilot opened the aircraft’s emergency slides under standard operating procedures to evacuate the passengers.
The spokesperson said some passengers exited the aircraft via the jet bridge, while the remaining passengers were evacuated through the emergency slides.
No passenger was injured during the operation, and all passengers were safe.
According to the PIA spokesperson, a detailed inspection of the aircraft found that the suspected fire was a false alarm. The affected aircraft’s Jeddah-Lahore flight was delayed by 20 to 22 hours. Forty passengers of the Jeddah-Lahore flight were sent to a hotel, while the remaining passengers went home.
