THE crew and passengers on board an RAF Lyneham Hercules have had a dramatic escape after their aircraft was destroyed in Afghanistan.

There were nine crew and 26 passengers on board the aircraft, including Britain's newly appointed ambassador to Afghanistan, Stephen Evans.

Two passengers needed treatment for minor injuries, but the aircraft one of the RAF's fleet of 50 Hercules was burnt out.

The fire followed an accident at an airfield in the Helmand province of the war-torn country.

Military officials said one of the plane's tyres burst during landing at an airstrip near the provincial capital Laskar Gar.

The tyre burst sent debris into the engine, which then caught fire.

The incident was not caused by enemy fire.

The aircraft a regular sight in the skies over Swindon is a C-130K and is one of four working in the country supporting British troops in fighting against the remnants of the country's former Taliban regime but also the region's drug lords and opium growers.

The aircraft are based in Kandahar and fly regular supply missions to the British base at Camp Bastion, where hundreds of British troops are stationed.

Aircrews working there often face difficult operating conditions, including soaring temperatures, dust storms and a heavy workload.

In January last year another RAF Hercules was shot down in Iraq killing all 10 servicemen on board.

It crashed after it was hit by ground fire, which caused an explosion in the right wing fuel tanks.