14 injured as Thai Airways plane skids off runway
A Thai Airways plane has skidded off the runway while landing at Bangkok's main international airport, leaving 14 people injured.
The plane was carrying 288 passengers and 14 crew members and had arrived into Suvarnabhumi Airport from Guangzhou in China when the incident occurred.
A landing gear malfunction caused the plane to skid.
According to the BBC and the Evening Standard, Thai Airways President Sorajak Kasemsuvan said in a statement: "The nose gear failed as the plane touched the runway, causing the plane to skid.
"Sparks were noticed from the vicinity of the right landing gear near the engine; the matter is under investigation.
"The captain took control of the aircraft until it came to a complete stop and passengers were evacuated from the aircraft emergency exits."
In a bid to protect the reputation of Thai Airways following the incident, workers used a crane to black out the airline's logo on the tail and body of the Airbus A330-300 in question.
According to ITV News, Thai Airways official Smud Poom-On said that "blurring the logo" after an accident was a recommendation from Star Alliance, known as the "crisis communication rule", to protect the image of the airline.
The Daily Telegraph reports that passengers were injured while evacuating the plane, and 14 people were taken to hospital.
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