MADRID: A false fire alarm aboard a Ryanair jet preparing for takeoff from Spain's Palma de Mallorca airport saw several passengers injured as they left the plane via inflatable ramps, the Irish carrier said Saturday.
Friday evening's Manchester-bound flight was suspended owing to a false fire alarm warning indication.
“Passengers were disembarked using the inflatable slides and returned to the terminal,“ Ryanair said in a statement, adding that there was no fire on the aircraft.
“While disembarking, a small number of passengers encountered very minor injuries (ankle sprains, etc.) and crew requested immediate medical assistance.
“To minimise disruption to passengers, we quickly arranged a replacement aircraft to operate this flight, which departed Palma at 07:05 this morning.”
Local Mallorca media reported 18 injuries, all minor, with six requiring hospitalisation and the remainder treated on site.
The low-cost airline is popular with British tourists visiting coastal destinations in Spain and southern Europe, including the Balearic island of Mallorca.
State-owned Spanish airport managing company Aena confirmed that “there was an incident on a Ryanair plane last night at Palma de Mallorca Airport.
“There was no fire and the incident did not affect airport operations.”
