Air Canada Express flight catches fire during landing in Halifax; Evacuations successful
Halifax: An Air Canada Express flight operated by PAL Airlines faced a landing gear failure while arriving from Newfoundland at Halifax Stanfield International Airport, Canada, late Saturday night. The incident occurred around 9:30 pm local time and led to a partial fire, prompting an immediate evacuation of all passengers and crew.
Eyewitness accounts described the aircraft tilting to a 20-degree angle and skidding along the runway. Emergency services, including paramedics and the Nova Scotia RCMP, responded swiftly. An airport spokesperson confirmed that all onboard were evacuated safely and transported to a hangar for medical assessments.
The aircraft, with an estimated capacity of 80 passengers, was nearly full, though the exact number of occupants remains unconfirmed.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the landing gear failure, which may involve mechanical or procedural issues or external factors.
This incident coincided with a major aviation tragedy in South Korea. A Jeju Air flight from Bangkok to Muan crashed during landing, resulting in 179 fatalities out of the 181 people on board. Video footage from the crash site showed the aircraft engulfed in flames shortly after impact.
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Three company directors held in Rs 100-crore investment fraud in Kochi
Kochi (Kerala) (PTI): Police on Sunday arrested three directors of a firm accused of cheating hundreds of investors of over Rs 100 crore through a fake investment scheme linked to agricultural tourism here, officials said.
The accused were identified as Muraleedharan, Ashik Murali and Akhil Murali, all natives of Thrissur.
The arrests were made by the Kalamassery police in connection with a fraud involving ATCOS (Agri Tourism Cooperative Society), a firm headquartered at Pathadipalam here.
Police said the company had promised high returns by collecting investments from the public in the agricultural tourism sector, but allegedly cheated hundreds of people and fled with the money.
ATCOS was registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act and operated 13 branches across various districts in Kerala, besides a branch in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, officials said.
When investors failed to receive their promised returns or the invested amount, complaints were filed with the police.
Officials said around 54 cases have been registered against the firm in 32 police stations across the state, including 29 cases at the Kalamassery police station alone.
Following instructions from Kochi City Police Commissioner K S Mahesh Kumar, a special investigation team was formed under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Shehensha and Thrikkakara ACP Manoj Kumar.
The team traced the accused to an apartment in Amala Nagar in Thrissur, where they had been hiding after secretly renting the flat, officials said.
The bank accounts of the accused have been frozen, and steps have been initiated to trace their assets, officials said.
Police also conducted a raid at the company’s office at Pathadipalam and seized several documents related to the case.
The accused were produced before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Kalamassery, which remanded them to judicial custody and sent them to Kakkanad jail.
Police said they would seek the custody of the accused for further interrogation as the investigation continues.
