Not less than 18 people were injured after panic erupted onboard a Ryanair flight from Palma de Majorca to Manchester, following a false fire alert that forced an emergency evacuation in the early hours of Friday.
The incident occurred shortly after midnight while the aircraft was still on the runway at Palma Airport.
Passengers were filmed scrambling out of the plane, some climbing onto the wing and jumping to the tarmac, as firefighters and police rushed to the scene.
Videos circulating on social media showed chaotic scenes, with terrified passengers leaping from the aircraft’s wing and sprinting across the tarmac, while others used the emergency slide on the opposite side of the plane.
An airport worker, heard in one of the videos, said, “Do you know the plane has emergency exits? Now the people are jumping from the wing onto the ground. Something’s happening, something’s happening, they’re evacuating the plane. Now the firefighters are coming.”
Emergency services were alerted at 12:36am, according to a spokesperson for Majorca’s emergency response team.
Four ambulances, two basic life support units and two advanced units, were dispatched alongside airport-based firefighters and local police.
“Eighteen people sustained minor injuries and received medical assistance,” the spokesperson confirmed.
“Six were taken to hospital, three to Clinica Rotger and three to Palmaplanas Hospital.”
Ryanair confirmed the flight was preparing to depart for Manchester when the evacuation was triggered by a false fire warning light.
“This flight from Palma to Manchester discontinued take-off due to a false fire warning light indication,” the airline said in a statement.
“Passengers were disembarked using the inflatable slides and returned to the terminal. While disembarking, a small number of passengers sustained very minor injuries (ankle sprains, etc.), and crew requested immediate medical assistance.”
“To minimise disruption, we quickly arranged a replacement aircraft, which departed Palma at 07:05 this morning. We sincerely apologise to affected passengers for any inconvenience caused,” the statement added.
Authorities have since confirmed there was no fire onboard. An investigation is expected to review the cause of the false alarm and assess the evacuation process.
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