TOKYO: A United Airlines flight bound for the Philippines made an emergency landing in western Japan on Friday after a fire warning in the cargo hold, leaving two people injured during evacuation.
Flight 32, a Boeing 737-800 carrying 135 passengers and seven crew, departed Narita Airport for Cebu but diverted to Kansai International Airport near Osaka shortly after 7 pm, Japanese media reported. NHK said the cockpit received a cargo fire alert while the jet was flying over the Pacific Ocean.
The aircraft was evacuated on the tarmac using emergency slides, with two people taken to hospital for treatment. In total, 142 passengers and crew disembarked safely, according to Kyodo News.
United Airlines later said an initial inspection found no evidence of fire. “All passengers and crew onboard the jet were evacuated… while the two injured were taken to the hospital,” the airline said in a statement.
Japanese authorities are investigating the cause of the warning.
