At least 18 passengers were injured early Saturday when a Ryanair aircraft caught fire on the runway at Palma de Mallorca Airport, forcing a chaotic evacuation that saw holidaymakers leaping from the plane’s wing to the tarmac below.
Dramatic video footage from the airport shows panicked travelers jumping from the aircraft and running for safety after the crew raised the alarm shortly after midnight. The flight was preparing for departure when emergency services were alerted to the onboard fire, News.Az reports, citing The Telegraph.
The cause of the blaze remains unknown, and the aircraft’s intended destination has not yet been confirmed by officials.
Emergency services responded swiftly, dispatching four ambulances, two advanced life support units and two basic life support units, to the scene. According to a spokesperson for the Balearic Islands’ emergency response coordination center, six of the injured passengers were taken to hospital with minor injuries.
A bewildered airport worker was overheard on a walkie-talkie during the incident saying: “Do you know the plane has emergency exits?” He later added, “Plane about to leave from apron ten or eight and 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.”
Local media report that although the evacuation began in panic, emergency responders quickly brought the situation under control, and most passengers were able to leave the aircraft in an orderly manner.
Ryanair has yet to issue a public statement regarding the incident. Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.
