Pilots Land IAF Avro Carrying COVID-19 Supplies Safely After Engine Catches Fire Mid-air

Pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF)'s Avro transport aircraft carrying COVID-19 supplies managed to land the plane safely at Agra air base after one of its engines caught fire mid-air.

The incident that occurred Tuesday took place soon after the aircraft took off from the air base at an altitude of around 250 feet, Indian media reported citing IAF sources on Wednesday.

India has imposed a 21-day lockdown till April 14 to keep the spread of COVID-19 virus in check. The IAF on Wednesday said it transported medical personnel, and around 25 tonnes of essential medical supplies (personal protective equipment, hand sanitiser, surgical gloves, thermal scanners) from Delhi, Surat, Chandigarh to Manipur, Nagaland and the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

"Regular airlifting of COVID-19 test samples from the union territory of Ladakh to Delhi is also being carried. Towards this, C-17, C-130, An-32. AVRO & Dornier aircraft of the IAF are being tasked on as required basis and the IAF is adequately geared up to meet all the emerging demands," the IAF said in a statement.

According to the Health Ministry, Wednesday marked India's biggest spike in a day with 386 new cases confirmed, taking the total tally to 1,637 cases. The COVID-19 death toll for the country stands at 38.