At least 18 passengers were injured after a Ryanair fire alert happened on a Boeing 737 aircraft at Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI) in Spain. The scare occurred on Saturday, right as the plane was preparing to take off for Manchester.
The emergency services were contacted immediately. They arrived at the scene without any delay.
Four ambulances were sent to help. Two of them were basic life support units. The other two were advanced. These were sent by the regional emergency coordination center. Firefighters stationed at the airport & members of the Civil Guard were also there.
During the event, the crew opened the emergency exits to evacuate everyone. Some passengers climbed out onto the wing. Then, they jumped straight to the ground to get away from the aircraft.
A video clip of the event is now trending on social media. In the footage, people are seen climbing out of the plane in fear. They reach the wing & also jump off to safety.
A spokesperson from the regional emergency coordination center shared details. Eighteen people were hurt and treated for injuries. Six of them had to go to the hospital. Three were admitted to Rotger Clinic. The other three were taken to Hospital Quironsalud Palmaplanas.
Ryanair confirmed what happened after the incident. The airline said that the flight from Palma to Manchester on July 4 had to stop takeoff because a Ryanair fire alert was triggered by a false fire warning light.
According to the airline, passengers exited the aircraft using the inflatable emergency slides. Afterward, they were brought back to the terminal.
Just a week earlier, a similar event occurred involving American Airlines flight. One of the engines on their plane caught fire during the flight. That plane had 153 passengers and six crew members. It had to make an emergency landing in Las Vegas shortly after takeoff.