DHAKA: Malaysia Airlines said one of its planes was grounded Thursday after a service vehicle struck the aircraft’s belly, the latest incident to dent the carrier’s image after the disappearance of flight MH370.

The airline said the passengers on the Myanmar-bound plane were put on a later flight while a ‘thorough check’ was being conducted on the Boeing 737-800.

The vehicle hit the underside of the aircraft when it was on the ground at Kuala Lumpur International airport, it added, reports The Straits Times.

‘Our engineers were on site to assess the damage. The preliminary assessment showed no immediate risk to the structure of the aircraft, however the grounding of the aircraft was necessary to conduct a thorough check,’ said Izham Ismail, Malaysia Airlines operations director.

BDST: 2111 HRS, MAY 14, 2014