Emirates plane catches fire in Dubai

Hundreds of passengers escaped after an Emirates flight skidded on a runway and burst into flames Wednesday at Dubai International Airport.

Thirteen passengers suffered minor injuries when the plane crashed after landing, Emirates Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed said.But a firefighter, identified as Jassim Essa Al-Baloushi, was killed "while saving the lives of others," the Dubai government's media office said. Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum tweeted residents were "proud of our youth and their sacrifices while performing their duties in protecting lives and saving people."

Flames and thick, black smoke billowed from the stricken Boeing 777 shortly after it came to a stop on the runway.

There were no fatalities among the 282 passengers and 18 crew members on board, Emirates said.The aircraft left Trivandrum International Airport at 10:19 a.m. and was scheduled to land at 12:50 p.m. in Dubai.

Once emergency response teams managed to extinguish the fire, it was clear how deadly the accident could have been: The entire top half of the aircraft's fuselage was missing, with the belly of the plane slumped on the tarmac.

"Emirates can confirm that today, 3 August 2016, flight EK521 traveling from Trivandrum International Airport in Thiruvananthapuram, India to Dubai has been involved in an accident at Dubai International Airport," the airline said.

The majority of those on board were Indian nationals, it added.