Air Zimbabwe flight makes emergency landing

An Air Zimbabwe plane burst two tyres during an emergency landing at the northwest resort of Victoria Falls brought on by engine failure, state-run media reported today.

An unspecified number of passengers complained of minor injuries during yesterday’s incident, according to The Herald, a government newspaper.

The new Chinese-built plane, which seats up to 32 people, was on route from Victoria Falls to the capital, Harare, when it began experiencing engine difficulties and was forced to land.

The cash-strapped national carrier has suffered a series of woes. Some of the airline’s planes are nearly 30 years old, and passengers mistrust the safety record of its newest acquisitions, three small Chinese MA60 turbo-prop planes used on domestic routes since last year.