Firefighter dies responding to Emirates EK521 emergency

  DUBAI – While all 282 passengers and 18 crew members of Emirates flight EK521 were safe following the aircraft’s emergency landing at Dubai International Airport on Wednesday (August 3), a firefighter died while responding to the incident, the UAE aviation authority said. Saif Mohamed Al Suwaidi, Director General of General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), said that the firefighter “lost his life while saving the lives of the others”. “I salute his ultimate sacrifice that kept many from harm’s way. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family," Al Suwaidi said. The victim was identified as Jassim Al Balushi, a firefighter from Ras Al Khaimah.
  Flight EK521 had departed from Trivandrum International Airport in Thriruvananthapuram at 10:19 a.m. and was scheduled to land at Dubai airport at 12:50 p.m. Emirates said the plane made an emergency landing at 12:45 p.m. Everyone on board was quickly evacuated before fire engulfed the aircraft. Firefighters were able to control the blaze at around 2:30 p.m.   Also read Emirates plane makes emergency landing EK521 passengers' 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