UN airplane makes emergency Afghan landing

A UN plane carrying Afghan Vice President Nayiamatullah Shahrani made a belly landing Kabul today after the landing gear failed to open. No injuries were reported.

The plane, carrying eight passengers and two crew, was initially headed to Bamiyan in central Afghanistan, but turned back to the capital when its landing gear jammed, said state TV.

The aircraft circled over Kabul’s airport for 90 minutes to empty its fuel, while security forces readied ambulances, fire trucks and emergency gear before the plane landed, skidding without wheels across the runway.