British Airways Plane Aborts Take-off At Entebbe Airport in Uganda

All passengers on board a British Airways flight to London had a miraculous escape on Saturday when all the 10 tires of the Boeing 747 burst on takeoff at Entebbe international airport in Uganda.

The passengers on board, including the Ugandan Vice President, Gilbert Bukenya and the crew, were evacuated from the plane.

Pius Sawa, who was flying to Arusha Tanzania, witnessed the incident and says airport staff rushed and evacuated the shocked passengers, many of whom were taken back to the departures lounge at the airport.

Sawa says there was confusion at the airport as people tried to figure out what could have caused the tires to burst.

James Baba, the state minister in the office of the Vice President, has confirmed the incident. Baba says aeronautic engineers at the airport are trying to fix new tires, but other sources at the airport say engineers will have to be flown from London.

It is not yet clear whether an alternative flight will be arranged for the stranded passengers, some of whom came with the plane from Nairobi, Kenya.

Sources at the airport say this is the first time such an incident has happened at the usually quiet international airport.

Source African Press Agency

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