A Malaysia Airlines aircraft, with 159 passengers and seven crew members aboard, was forced to make an emergency landing in Kuala Lumpur on April 21 due to a landing gear malfunction.

While en route from Kuala Lumpur to Bangalore (India), the right-hand tyre on the main landing gear burst, according to a statement released by the airline.

The pilot was later alerted by air traffic control after the discovery of tyre debris on the runway.

All the passengers were checked into a hotel while awaiting their next flight, scheduled at 3:30 pm the same day.

The incident occurred at a time when the carrier and international forces are continuing the large-scale search for the missing MH370 plane that disappeared in March. It is believed to have inexplicably diverted from its course before crashing into the Indian Ocean with 239 people onboard, the majority of them Chinese nationals.-VNA