Air India Express plane hits electric pole while taxiing, minor damage to right wing; passengers safe

Amaravati, Feb 20 (PTI): A Boeing aircraft of AirIndia Express suffered a minor damage on its right wing afterit hit an electric pole while taxiing on the runway at theVijayawada airport on Saturday evening, but all 64 passengersaboard were safe, airport officials said.

The flight landed at the airport at Gannavaramfrom Doha, en route Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, when themishap occurred, according to airport director MadhusudanaRao.

Of the 64, 19 passengers were to disembark atVijayawada while the rest were bound for Tiruchirappalli.

One of the passengers, Reshma of Nidadavole, said itwas a happy landing finally though there was a bit of panicwhen there was a sudden jerk during taxiing.

''By God's grace there was nothing untoward. Theairlines staff said the mishap was only minor, which came as abig relief to us,'' another passenger Varalakshmi of Kakinadasaid.

The aircraft had been grounded in Vijayawada even asthe authorities were making alternative arrangements forflying the 45 passengers to Tiruchirappalli later tonight,airport sources said.