DUBAI: Fifteen people were injured on Monday when a Bangladeshi airliner was forced to abort its takeoff from Dubai, prompting the closure of the region's busiest airport for more than seven hours.

The Bangladesh Airlines plane with 236 people on board, including crew members, was about to take off from the Gulf emirate to Dhaka when the accident occurred, civil aviation department spokeswoman Shamma Lootah said.

“There was a failure to take off and then the nose of the plane hit the ground,” she said.

“Fifteen people on board were slightly injured, most of them in the panic that erupted when the accident occurred, and have been taken to hospital,” she said, adding that most of the passengers were Bangladeshis.

The airport reopened at 2pm (1000 GMT), Dubai civil aviation department spokesman Huraiz bin Huraiz said, seven and a half hours after it was forced to close because of the accident.

“Biman, Bangladesh Airlines Flight BG 006 from Dubai to Dhaka had an accident during departure and failed to take off around 0630 am today. All 236 passengers, including crew, are safe, and were immediately evacuated from the aircraft,” Dubai airport said in a statement on its website.—AFP