Gaya, March 6: A raging fire along the runway at Gaya International Airport delayed landing of two flights for a couple of hours on Friday.

The planes were diverted following dense smoke and dangerous landing condition, a senior Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said. Confirming the fire, Gaya district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Agarwal said: "Landing of two flights got delayed." One among them was Air India's Delhi-Gaya-Varanasi-Delhi flight and another was Calcutta-Gaya-Yangon international flight.

"Both the planes were diverted because of fire, but again called back as the fire was contained. Both have landed now," Agarwal said.

The bushes caught fire after someone threw some burning substance into the airport premises after Holika Dahan on Thursday evening. The fencing around the airport is surrounded by some villages. The fire spread and reached up to the runway on Friday. But the fire brigade and AAI managed to contain it. "The airport is completely operational now," the district magistrate said.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) P. Kannan said: "We are trying to verify the reasons behind the fire and investigations have been launched."