A Turkish Airlines aircraft was evacuated in Nepal’s capital on Monday after a minor fire broke out shortly after landing, temporarily shutting down operations at the airport, authorities confirmed.

The incident involved an Airbus A330 carrying 277 passengers and 11 crew members from Istanbul.

According to officials, the fire started in the aircraft’s right rear tyre after it touched down at Kathmandu airport. All passengers and crew were safely evacuated.

“The fire broke out in the right rear tyre of the aircraft…the fire was doused and the plane was towed to the taxiway,” said Gyanendra Bhul, spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. “It is grounded.”

The fire prompted the closure of Kathmandu airport for about an hour as emergency teams worked to extinguish the blaze and secure the runway. During this period, several incoming flights were placed in holding patterns while authorities carried out inspections and cleared the single operational runway.

Turkish Airlines did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the incident.

Nepal’s aviation sector is often challenged by difficult flying conditions due to its mountainous geography and rapidly changing weather patterns, which have contributed to a higher rate of air incidents in the country.

In a similar past event, a Turkish Airlines jet skidded off a runway in Kathmandu in 2015 while landing in thick fog. The airport was closed for several days, although no injuries were reported. The aircraft was later removed and eventually turned into a museum exhibit.