Air China flight CA403 pictured with a fire in its left engine while on the runway at Singapore's Changi Airport on September 10, 2023. (Photo: Facebook/Airline Secrets Exposed)

Nine passengers suffered minor injuries from smoke inhalation and abrasions during the evacuation of Air China Flight CA403, both Air China and Changi Airport are providing assistance to all passengers and crew members, Changi Airport said late on Sunday.

Air China Flight CA403, carrying 146 passengers and nine crew members from Chengdu in Southwest China's Sichuan Province to Singapore, encountered smoke in the cabin before landing at Singapore's Changi Airport on Sunday, Air China said in a statement. The cause of the incident is under investigation.

The plane encountered smoke in the forward cargo hold and lavatory before landing at Changi Airport at around 4.15 pm, the airport noted, adding that all passengers and crew have been evacuated safely.

In one video posted on social media, smoke can be seen engulfing the cabin while an air stewardess is heard giving instructions to the passengers on their next steps. The fire in the left engine has since been put out after landing.

Air China Flight CA403 issued code 7700 when it was about to arrive in Singapore, indicating an emergency, according to earlier media reports.

One passenger said on the Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo that the fire occurred during the plane's descent, and that it went on for about 40 minutes.

After the plane was in danger, the crew handled the situation in accordance with procedures and organized passengers to implement timely evacuation. Changi Airport in Singapore also launched emergency procedures, according to Air China.

In addition, passengers are seen sliding down an emergency slide and running away from the plane in another video posted online. A man evacuates with his luggage, prompting netizens on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu to call him out for doing so.

"People like him should be grounded permanently, as he's risking other people's lives," said one netizen.

The stewardesses were very professional in calming the passengers, with most of the passengers calm and stable in the face of the emergency, said a passenger who was on the plane.

Air China and Changi Airport Group are also assisting passengers and crew affected by the incident. Due to this incident, Runway 3 at Changi Airport will be temporarily closed and flight operations may be affected.

Global Times