Khartoum, Sudan - Forty five passengers and crew of a Sudanese Fokker 50 plane, narrowly escaped death at Khartoum airport Sunday as the aircraft, unable to lower its tyres, landed safely on its belly, PANA reported from here.

A spokesman for the company, Dr. Hafez Abdul Rahim, said the plane headed for Malakal from Khartoum earlier in the day but when it reached its destination, the wheels could not be lowered and the crew radioed Khartoum which asked the pilot to return to the Sudanese capital.

In Khartoum, according to the spokesman, who talked to the Sudan News Agency, fire fighters splashed the tarmac with lots of chemical foam to reduce friction to enable aircraft to land on its belly.

The official was quoted as saying that all passengers were safe on landing.

Investigations on the cause of the incident have yet to be launched.

Pana 03/10/2011