Saudi Arabia were travelling to Rostov for their next fixture against Uruguay on Thursday in the FIFA World Cup 2018. One of the engines of the team plane caught fire mid-air during landing, which was a minor technical fault as per reports. Reports suggest that a bird got caught in the engine which is the preliminary cause so far. The football association confirmed everybody is safe and the plane landed safely.
In what could have been an apparent major disaster, the Saudi Arabian football team had a narrow escape after the team plane caught fire while carrying the players for their FIFA World Cup 2018 match against Uruguay on Wednesday. The team were travelling on a Rossiya Airbus (AIR.PA) A319 from St Petersburg to Rostov-on-Don, when one of the engines caught fire.
Following the incident, the football association issued a statement where it has been assured that the entire team is safe and the plane landed safely in Rostov. The Green Falcons kicked off their FIFA World Cup 2018 campaign with a heavy defeat 0-5 against host Russia.
“The Saudi Football Federation wishes to reassure everyone about the safety of all members of the mission of the national team after a minor technical malfunction in an engine. The plane landed a few minutes ago at Rostov on Don Airport, and UNOMIG personnel are now safely heading to their residence,” the official statement read.
Although the social media and the Saudi media uploaded videos on social media where one of the engines of the plane could be seen on fire. However, Reuters quoted one of the spokesmen of the Rossiya airlines, “suffered a technical fault with one of its engines, with a bird getting caught seen as the preliminary cause.”
Watch the video here:
https://twitter.com/WorldCup18Info/status/1008792157115879424