Emirates plane crash-lands at Dubai airport

Three hundred people escaped when an Emirates aircraft crash-landed at Dubai International Airport today. All those on board were evacuated safely.

"Less than ten passengers were treated for smoke inhalation and burn injuries," reports the UAE-based Gulf News. One person was admitted for "long-term treatment".

Jerin George, from New York, was among the passengers flying from Thiruvananthapuram, in India.

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"We noticed something wasn't right when the landing started taking place," he told the Daily Mirror. "The engine blew away right after landing. As soon as everyone got out, the plane blew up."

Shortly before the Boeing 777 was due to arrive in Dubai, the pilot informed passengers that a problem with the landing gear meant he would be forced into an emergency touchdown, according to Indian media reports cited in the Daily Telegraph.

Images on social media suggest the plane landed on its belly, which occurs when an aircraft lands without its landing gear fully extended.

Alby Wilson, who was waiting in the airport lounge, told Sky News: "There was a loud noise outside. People ran to the windows and we saw the plane about 500 metres away. There was a lot of black smoke all across the tarmac."

"When you look at the pictures, it seems incredible that no-one was killed," writes BBC transport correspondent Richard Westcott. "It is a testament to the training that airline crew are put through."

The Boeing 777 is considered one of the safest planes around, says The Guardian. "More than 1,000 have been produced and there have only been a few dozen incidents logged, most of them minor," it adds.