There was chaos at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) in Abuja when a Max Air airline had a serious incident upon landing and the runway had to be abruptly closed.

The incident took place around 2:58 pm and caused panic among passengers onboard, as well as those departing and arriving in Abuja, who were grounded for over seven hours.

The Boeing 737 Max Air jet had taken off from Yola Airport with 149 passengers and lost one of its left rear tyres. Passengers on board the flight noticed the damage and started to panic, with some praying for a safe landing.

Upon landing in Abuja, the flight lost its second tyre and the left landing wheel was engulfed in flames. Emergency responders and Aerodrome Rescue and Fire-fighting Service (ARFFS) were on the ground to put out the fire, and all passengers and crew were safely evacuated on the runway.

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Dr. Mike Ogirima, former President of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), who was also on board, gave an account of the incident and said that the tyre burst occurred after takeoff at Yola Airport.

Officials of the Abuja Airport said that efforts were underway to usher in a heavy-duty crane to safely tow the damaged equipment off the runway, and to reopen the same to domestic and international flight operations.

The runway was temporarily shut for repairs, but the Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, tweeted that the runway was due to be open in about an hour.

The Nigeria Safety Investigations Bureau (NSIB) confirmed that the aircraft had two tyre bursts but had been safely evacuated from the runway. NSIB officers were probing the incident, and details would be made available to the general public.