A plane carrying Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari skidded off the runway at the Benazir International Airport in Islamabad on Sunday.
Bilawal, as well as, all other passengers and crew on board the flight, however, remained unhurt in the incident.
The aircraft drove off the runway as it attempted to land at the airport. It had taken off from Lahore earlier in the evening and had Bilawal among its passengers, sources said.
The plane, which landed in the capital city at 8:38 PM PST, came to a halt some 50 feet off the runway but almost all passengers, including the crew, remained unharmed.
The incident occurred due to the failure of the aircraft’s hydraulic brakes
A plane carrying @BBhuttoZardari skid off the runway Airport in Islamabad. Bilawal & other people including crew unhurt and safe #ppp #Bilawal pic.twitter.com/djkv1vEcr0
— Ziauddin Shah (@zatsbrown) January 13, 2019
Rescue teams of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), present at the airport, reached the spot immediately after the incident and safely evacuated all on-board, including the PPP chairman, to Raval Lounge of the airport.
The runway at the old Islamabad airport was temporarily shut for all flights after a similar incident last night, sources further said, adding that the plane carrying Bilawal was taken to apron using heavy machinery.
The front tyre of the aircraft skidded during the landing due to failure of its hydraulic break, they added.
