Team Saudi Arabia landed safely after Rossiya Airbus A319 carrying the players caught fire mid-air. The team was travelling from St. Petersburg to Rostov -on-Don where they were supposed to play the second Group A match against Uruguay. The reports of the fire were refuted by the spokesperson.
The statement read that the plane suffered “a technical fault with one of its engines, with a bird getting caught seen as the preliminary cause." The statement further read that the plans suffered a technical fault with one of its engines, with a bird getting caught seen as the preliminary cause. Check out the video of the incident.
Saudi Arabia’s team plane landing in Rostov On Don for their #WorldCup match
It seems to be on fire 😳
— World Cup 2018 Related (@WorldCup18Info) June 18, 2018
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation posted a statement on Twitter saying, "would like to reassure everyone that all the Saudi national team players are safe, after a technical failure in one of the airplane engines that has just landed in Rostov-on-Don airport, and now they're heading to their residence safely.”
📄| The Saudi Arabian Football Federation would like to reassure everyone that all the Saudi national team players are safe, after a technical failure in one of the airplane engines that has just landed in Rostov-on-Don airport, and now they’re heading to their residence safely.
— Saudi National Team (@SaudiNT_EN) June 18, 2018
The official page of the team also shared the pictures of the players being safe and sound as they took the bus for the Mercure Hotel in central Rostov. "All the Saudi national team players are safe, after a technical failure in one of the airplane engines ... and now they're heading to their residence safely," it said in a statement on Twitter.
Saudi Arabia World Cup 2018 team plane catches fire in mid air after 'bird flies into engine' pic.twitter.com/tnRSPR0CO3
— Arslan Ahmad (@IamArsal10) June 19, 2018
The captain of the Saudi Arabian team Osama Hawsawi, also posted a video message, "I want to reassure you that we got to Rostov safely, it was a simple technical fault in the airplane but thank God we are now in the hotel and things are good.”
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 19, 2018 01:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).