RAWALPINDI: Five people were injured after an ambo-lifter used for embarking disabled/elderly patients on a Dubai-bound flight collapsed at Benazir Bhutto International Airport on Tuesday.

One of the plane’s engines was also damaged in the accident.

According to airport sources, the incident occurred when boarding for EK-615 was in progress at about 3:20am.

An ambo-lifter carrying four wheelchair-bound passengers was attached to the aircraft for boarding.

As the ambo-lifter operated by a private handling agency’s worker moved upward, it collapsed due to failure of its hydraulic system.

The four passengers on the ambo-lifter and its operator sustained injuries and were shifted to Benazir Bhutto Hospital. Later, the passengers were offloaded and shifted to the international departure lounge with the announcement of a delay in the departure of the flight till 1:30pm.

Zohaib Aslam, a passenger, told Dawn that he could not see the collapse of the lifter but was informed that the plane had developed some technical problem and the flight had been delayed.

He said he and other passengers were shifted to a hotel in Saddar and brought back to the airport at about 1:30pm. The passengers departed for their destination at about 3pm after an alternative plane arrived from Dubai. The injured passengers were identified as Mohammad Latif, Kalsoom Bibi, 55, Rafiqa Bibi, 59 and Bilqees Bibi, 47.

The lifter’s operator, Qamar Ali, was stated to be in critical condition.

A CAA spokesman told Dawn that an inquiry had been ordered into the incident in addition to inspection of all vehicles, including ambo-lifters and other equipment being used by private handling agencies.

A spokesman for Emirates in a statement said: “Flight EK-615 from Islamabad to Dubai on Tuesday was involved in an incident on ground as passengers were boarding the aircraft.” He said four passengers and one ground handling staff sustained injuries and were shifted to the nearest hospital.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2018