BA Comair plane crash lands after landing gear 'collapses' on runway OR Tambo airport in Johannesburg

Reports suggest the engine caught on fire but Comair says all passengers and crew safely disembarked with no reported injuries

A BA plane has crash landed in Johannesburg after part of the landing gear "collapsed" while the jet was coming in to land.

The plane, carrying 94 passengers and six crew members, had been travelling from Port Elizabeth in South Africa to OR Tambo International airport on Monday morning when the incident happened.

Posted by Renaldo Gouws on Monday, 26 October 2015

A spokesperson for Comair, which operates the aircraft, confirmed to The Independent that the left front wheel had collapsed during landing, but said all passengers and crew had disembarked the aircraft safely. An investigation is currently underway, the spokesperson added.

One eye-witness, Renaldo Gouws, who appeared to be on the flight, wrote on Facebook that the plane had a “massive landing gear failure and engine caught fire".

Reports of an engine fire have not been confirmed.

Comair Limited said in a statement: “British Airways’ (operated by Comair) BA6234 a 10:35 departure from Port Elizabeth, with 6 Crew and 94 Passengers on board, was involved in an incident on landing at OR Tambo International Airport just after 12:00 pm today.

“We can confirm that all passengers and crew safely disembarked with no reported injuries. Passengers have been taken to the terminal building where staff are on hand,” adding that the airline and relevant authorities will be conducting the necessary investigation over the coming days and weeks.