Emirates chairman says firefighter died in plane disaster

A still picture taken from an amateur video shows smoke rising (at rear) after an Emirates Airline flight crash-landed at Dubai International Airport, the UAE August 3, 2016.  [Photo/Agencies]

DUBAI - A firefighter was killed while battling flames that erupted when an Emirates airline plane flying from India crash-landed in Dubai, the carrier's chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum said on Wednesday.

Sheikh Ahmed said authorities were still investigating the incident, in which 14 other people were admitted to hospitals with mainly minor or moderate injuries. He said the crash-landing was not caused by any security breach.

He said the plane, which had entered service in 2003, had undergone maintenance in 2015 and that the United Arab Emirates pilot had over 7,000 hours of flying experience.

Emirates always follows international standards and is strict in implementing safety and maintenance rules, Sheikh Ahmed told a news conference in Dubai, which was carried by Dubai television.