Emergency Landing at Basel Airport; Aging Trees Get the Axe; Fire in Gundeli

News For 8 October 2019

A British Airways flight on route from Southern Italy to London made an emergency landing at Basel's Euroairport on Saturday. The airplane with 165 passengers and four crew made the landing after smoke was reported inside the airplane's cabin. In response to the emergency, three normally scheduled flights were diverted and air traffic was interrupted for 20 minutes. None of the crew or passengers were harmed in the incident.

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Basel's Public Gardening Department intends to remove 241 trees in the city that have been identified as dangerous. The department is responsible for oversight and maintenance of over 26'000 trees on the public lands of the city. The trees in question have been affected by old age, pests, diseases and storms and need to be removed before they cause harm to property or people. Removing the trees costs approximately 5'000 Swiss Francs per tree according to a department spokesperson, and are replaced at a cost of approximately 500 - 900 Swiss Francs per tree.

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A fire broke out in an apartment house on Dornacherstrasse in Gundeli this afternoon. Peter Gill, spokesman for the Basel public prosecutor's office, reported that the fire alarm was first detected at 3:30 this afternoon, at which time the fire brigade and paramedics were sent to the scene. Three people were evacuated without injuries. Although there is no cause of the fire determined yet, the initial damage reports indicate that the first floor of the building is now uninhabitable. Traffic continues to be re-routed around the apartment block as authorities continue their investigation.