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A false fire alert on a Ryanair Boeing 737 at Palma de Mallorca Airport injured 18 people. Passengers evacuated via emergency exits, with some jumping from the wings.
Screengrab of the viral video. (X)
A false fire alert on a Ryanair Boeing 737 at Palma de Mallorca Airport in Spain injured at least 18 people. The incident occurred on Saturday, just when the Manchester-bound plane was about to take off.
The emergency department was immediately informed about the situation and promptly rushed to the scene, the Arab Times reported.
The regional Emergency coordination centre deployed four ambulances, including two basic life support units and two advanced units, at the scene along with airport-based firefighters and members of the Civil Guard.
Passengers were evacuated through the emergency exits during the incident, where some passengers jumped from the wings directly to the ground to reach safety.
A viral video of the incident shows panicked passengers fleeing the plane via an emergency exit. They climbed onto one of the wings and then jumped down to the ground.
A spokesperson from the regional emergency coordination centre said that eighteen people were injured and received medical assistance, and six were taken to the hospital. The outlet stated that three people were taken to Rotger Clinic and the other three to Hospital Quironsalud Palamaplanas.
Ryanair confirmed that their Palma to Manchester flight on July 4 aborted takeoff after a false fire warning light was triggered. “Passengers were disembarked using the inflatable slides and returned to the terminal,” said the airline.
A similar incident took place on an American Airlines flight last week when one of its engines caught fire mid-air. The plane carrying 153 passengers and six crew members was forced to make an emergency landing in Las Vegas shortly after takeoff.
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