RIYADH, 14 July — Indian Ambassador Talmiz Ahmad and his wife Sunita Mainee Ahmad had a miraculous escape in the early hours of Friday when a British Airways flight BA 262 in which they were traveling en route to London force-landed at the King Khaled International Airport here following engine trouble.
Confirming the incident, Mazen Sous, director of public relations at British Airways, told Arab News on phone from Jeddah that the pilot had to make the emergency landing when its left engine caught fire forcing him to jettison the fuel. According to another source, the aircraft had reached an altitude of 4,000 feet when the incident occurred.
There were 231 passengers, including a US diplomat and a prominent Saudi businessman, on board. He said the aircraft could fly with one engine. However, as a matter of abundant precaution, the pilot decided to make an emergency-landing. The next flight took off after a delay of 24 hours, with all passengers reaching London safely.
The passengers were put up at the Riyadh Mariott till the relief aircraft arrived from London.
"We are very relieved to know that our ambassador and Mrs. Sunita Mainee Ahmad were safe and continued their London-bound journey by an alternative flight," Zikr-Ur-Rahman, first secretary at the Indian Embassy, told Arab News.
