An airport on Malaysia's Borneo island has been temporarily closed after an AirAsia plane skidded off a runway during a heavy downpour. -- ST PHOTO
KUALA LUMPUR - AN AIRPORT on Malaysia's portion of Borneo island was temporarily closed on Tuesday after an AirAsia plane skidded off a runway during a heavy downpour, officials said.
Four passengers had minor injuries after the incident Monday night at the international airport in Kuching, the capital of Malaysia's eastern Sarawak state, Transport Minister Kong Cho Ha said.
The plane belonging to South-east Asia's biggest budget carrier veered off the runway while landing during heavy rain, Malaysia Airports, the country's airport operator, said in a statement. It was carrying 124 passengers and six crew from Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysia Airports said 24 flights were scrapped on Tuesday because efforts to remove the plane from the soft ground had been hampered by continuous rain. The flights were to domestic destinations and neighbouring Singapore.
Passenger Snowdan Lawan told the national news agency, Bernama, that the plane veered sharply to the left after it touched down.
'When I alighted from the plane, I noticed that the nose-wheel tire seemed to have been damaged,' he said. -- AP
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