Passengers were evacuated from the Turkish Airlines flight TK-726 from Istanbul to Kathmandu on Monday after smoke was observed on the plane. Initial investigations into the incident indicated that the smoke was generated due to a technical fault in the aircraft's hydraulic pipes.

According to an email sent by the Kathmandu office of Turkish Airlines, the Airbus A330 aircraft with the registration number TC-JNP had landed normally in Kathmandu. However, as smoke was observed coming out of the landing gear while taxiing, the passengers were evacuated through an emergency slide as a precaution on the instructions of the Air Traffic Control (ATC) in the tower.

The plane's right main landing gear tire was on fire. The fire was brought under control by the Rescue and Firefighting Division at the airport.

Turkish Airlines spokesperson Yahya Ustun said in a statement on social media that the rescue operation was completed successfully and that no passengers or crew members were injured in the incident.

The airline said that an additional aircraft has been arranged for the return flight for the 279 affected passengers who were scheduled to fly from Kathmandu. In addition, the authorized technical team has started a detailed technical examination of the aircraft.

Flight services at Tribhuvan International Airport, which was closed on Monday morning following the Turkish Airlines incident, resumed after about an hour and a half. According to Gyanendra Bhul, joint spokesperson of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, the airport was closed at 6:34 am after a fire broke out in the main landing gear on the right side of the Turkish aircraft, and flights were suspended until 8:12 am.

During the incident, the Turkish Airlines wide-body aircraft got stuck on taxiway 'Bravo'. With about 30 percent of the aircraft on the taxiway and the remaining 70 percent on the runway, all domestic and international flights and airport operations had to be suspended.