New Delhi: A Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) flight bound for Zurich was forced to abort its takeoff from Indira Gandhi International Airport late Saturday night after a fire broke out on the aircraft. Indian authorities declared a full state of emergency as passengers were evacuated from the plane.

The incident occurred when smoke and flames were spotted coming from the aircraft's left wheel during the takeoff roll. The flight crew immediately cancelled the departure, and all 232 people on board were evacuated using emergency slides. While the majority of passengers were moved to safety without incident, six individuals sustained minor injuries during the evacuation and were taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Delhi airport officials confirmed that all safety protocols were activated immediately upon detection of the fire. In a statement, the airport emphasized that despite the emergency response, overall flight operations remained unaffected.

This marks the second emergency at the airport in recent weeks, following a March 28 incident where an IndiGo flight was forced to make an emergency landing due to a suspected engine malfunction. Investigations into the cause of the SWISS aircraft fire are currently underway.

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