AN IRANIAN CARGO PLANE ON TUESDAY HAD TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING NEAR TEHRAN RIGHT AFTER TAKE-OFF, DPA QUOTED STATE-TELEVISION AS SAYING. THE ANTONOV 12 HAD JUST TAKEN FROM THE PAYAM AIRPORT IN TEHRAN WHEN IT CAUGHT FIRE OWING TO FAILURE OF ONE THE ENGINES, AND MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A SUBURB BETWEEN KARAJ AND SAVOJ BOLAGH, WEST OF THE CAPITAL TEHRAN, THE REPORT SAID. ALTHOUGH THE ANTONOV 12 CAUGHT FIRE AFTER LANDING, THERE WERE NO CASUALTIES, THE TV REPORT ADDED. A SPOKESMAN OF IRAN'S CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION (CAO) TOLD STATE NEWS AGENCY IRNA THAT NONE OF THE TWELVE CREW MEMBERS WAS KILLED, ONLY FOUR WERE INJURED. THE CAO SPOKESMAN SAID COLLISION OF THE PLANE WITH A GROUP OF BIRDS MAY HAVE BEEN THE REASON FOR THE TECHNICAL DEFECT.
