Boeing 737 Cabin Roof Collapses on Passengers During Flight in Iran

Passengers on a Boeing 737 jet experienced a terrifying incident when the aircraft's cabin roof collapsed onto them shortly after takeoff from Mashhad, Iran. The flight, operated by Sepehran Airlines, was en route to Kermanshah on Tuesday with 127 passengers and crew.

Footage from inside the plane captured the moment passengers screamed as the cabin vibrated violently and ceiling panels detached. The pilot declared an emergency and returned to Mashhad Hashemi Nejad International Airport, where the aircraft landed safely. Some passengers were struck by falling debris, but no injuries were reported.

Reports indicate the aircraft suffered a tire blowout during takeoff and may have sustained damage to an engine. Following the incident, passengers were transferred to another aircraft to continue their journey. The event led to a temporary closure of one of the airport's runways.

A technical investigation into the incident is ongoing. Iran's aviation sector has faced challenges due to international sanctions, impacting the procurement of new aircraft and spare parts, often requiring airlines to maintain older fleets. This situation can complicate maintenance and upgrades, although specific causes of incidents require thorough investigation.

This incident follows a separate event last week where a Boeing 737's wingtip scraped the runway during an aborted landing at Dublin Airport. The Ryanair flight landed safely, and engineers repaired the aircraft, which has since returned to service.