Lagos — A passenger aircraft belonging to Qatar Airways with registration number A7AEE made an emergency landing at the cargo section of the Muritala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos yesterday.

According to a source, the airbus 332 which took off from Doha the capital of Qatar in the morning alerted the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) that the plane's tyre busted after take-off. It was due to land in Nigeria on emergency around 12:57 pm.

The source said busted rear tyre, which affected the functioning of the landing equipment, forced the aircraft to hover for a long time in the airspace before it made an emergency landing.

Scores of fire fighters belonging to the airport authorities, Lagos state fire service came with trucks.

Also fire trucks belonging to Julius Berger Plc and ambulance vehicles were mobilised at the cargo unit of the airport preparatory for rescue of the aircraft.

The plane landed around 1:10 pm successful with all the 248 passengers unhurt and disembarked from the plane around 2:20pm.

A few minutes after the aircraft made the emergency landing, it was towed to the parking bay of the international wing of the MMIA where the emergency process for the operations were declared closed.

The panic-stricken passengers were reluctant to speak on their experience but were grateful to God for saving them from the calamity of air crash.

Speaking to our correspondent at the cargo section of the MMIA, the media officer of NEMA, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, who led the emergency process explained that the agency received a radio message distress call from the pilot of the aircraft on approach to Lagos.

Farinloye explained that sequel to the distress call, NEMA coordinated all stakeholders in emergency management to get prepared for the operations, which he said was carried out successfully as the aircraft landed safely.