A Turkish Airlines plane, coming from Istanbul to Marrakech, was forced to make an emergency landing at Luqa International Airport, Malta, on Wednesday.
The incident was caused by a Moroccan passenger who fell ill. Taking advantage of the situation, several Moroccan passengers fled, triggering a vast search operation.
Flight TK619, operated by a Boeing 737 Max 8, took off from Istanbul at 8:56 UTC. Two hours later, the captain reported a medical problem concerning a passenger and requested permission to land in Malta. The aircraft landed at 11:02 UTC.
It was while the plane was on the tarmac that several passengers began to flee, causing confusion. Alerted, the Maltese security forces, supported by the army, immediately sealed off the airport and its surroundings, launching a manhunt to find the fugitives.
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The Moroccan passenger who caused the emergency landing was taken care of by emergency services and admitted to Mater Dei hospital, where he is guarded by the police. An investigation has been opened to determine the exact circumstances of this leak.
This incident is reminiscent of other similar cases that have occurred in recent years. In March 2024, in Rome, seventeen Moroccan passengers tried to leave a plane after an emergency landing.