An Ethiopian Airlines’ Boeing 777 cargo plane caught fire while loading cargo at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on Wednesday, the airline said, adding that fire has been contained and none of the crew or ground staff were harmed.
The cause of the incident was under investigation, Ethiopian Airlines said in a Facebook post. The aircraft was on a regularly scheduled cargo service from Shanghai to Sao Paulo-Santiago, it added.
Pictures and videos circulating on Chinese social media showed heavy smoke pouring from an Ethiopian aircraft, and a large section of the upper fuselage appeared scorched.
Here is a video circulating on Chinese social media of the burning @flyethiopian 777F at Shanghai Pudong Airport. It's most definitely a hull loss at this point. #BreakingNews #AvGeek pic.twitter.com/FN98d6QNrJ
— FATIII Aviation (@FATIIIAviation) July 22, 2020
After the fire broke, flights bound for Shanghai Pudong International Airport were diverted to Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, said aviation data provider Variflight.
