Two firemen killed in mishap at IGI

Two firemen were killed and three others injured when a fire tender they were using for a drill veered off the path at the new runway and fell into a drain at the IGI airport in New Delhi.

The incident happened last night when Ashok Chandra Verma, senior coodinator, along with driver Niresh Yadav and three other firemen were testing the ultra-modern fire-fighting vehicle (Rosenbauer--RB7), airport sources said on Saturday.

The vehicle veered of the runway near Zullu taxiway and overturned into a storm-water drain that runs parallel to the new runway.

The bodies have been sent to Safdarjung Hospital for post-mortem, while the injured were taken to the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre in Vasant Kunj.

Two of three firemen were released after treatment while the condition of one is stated to be serious, they said.

The test was being carried out on new runway (29/11) as there is no traffic after 10 pm, they said.

Directorate General of Civil Aviation has banned landings and take-offs of aircraft from the new runway as it caused inconvinence to the residents living in the vicinity.