A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane has landed safely at Islamabad Airport minutes after sounding midair Mayday call, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday.

The pilot of the PIA ATR plane which took off from Sukkur on Wednesday night for Islamabad International Airport carrying 54 passengers shouted Mayday emergency at 2240 local time only two nautical miles away from the federal capital.

The authorities at the airport got ready for the emergency landing in a flash by deploying firebrigade vehicles and ambulances. 

However, the ATR plane landed without any incident at the Islamabad Airport at 2241 and taxied to the parking lot on its own power at 2251.

The authorities disclosed that as per the standard operating procedure the pilot will go undergo a medical test.

The pilot later told authorities that he detected a warning of a fire starting in engine No 2. As a precaution he shut the engine down, the pilot added, saying the landing was powered by the other engine.

Reporter Farzana Siddique