Air China jet evacuated after engine fire forces emergency landing in Singapore, 9 people injured

Air China's Airbus A320 with 146 passengers and nine crew made an emergency landing in Singapore about 4:15 pm Sunday after smoke entered the cabin and also some other parts, official sources of the Changi Airport said.

Beijing : Nine passengers were injured after an engine fire sent smoke into the cabin of an Air China jetliner landing in Singapore, prompting an evacuation of the aircraft. The Airbus A320 with 146 passengers and nine crew made an emergency landing about 4:15 pm Sunday, official sources of the Changi Airport said in a statement on their jetliner's Facebook page. The flight was coming from the city of Chengdu in China's Sichuan province.

Nine people had suffered from minor injuries related to smoke inhalation and also abrasions which probably took place during the process of the evacuation, the jetliner's official statement said. The pilot declared an emergency after reporting smoke in the forward cargo hold and a lavatory. Also, smoke had blurred the lights in the cabin even as flight attendants told people to remain calm and stay in their seats after some of the passengers were seen standing up from their seats, a passenger told Chinese media.

The fire in the left engine was extinguished after the plane landed, Chinese media said. A preliminary investigation indicated a mechanical failure in the engine was the cause, Air China said in statement posted on social media early Monday. The investigation was continuing. (AP)