WORLD> America
|
WORLD> America
|
|
Airliner hijacked in Mexico, lands safely
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-09-10 03:37 MEXICO CITY: An AeroMexico passenger plane was hijacked in the Mexican resort of Cancun on Wednesday and flown to Mexico City's international airport, but all the more than 100 passengers on board got off the plane soon afterward, Mexican media said.
Local newspaper websites said three men had seized control of the Boeing 737 plane and threatened to blow it up unless they were allowed to speak to President Felipe Calderon. Mexican radio said the plane was carrying 104 passengers. Soon after the plane landed in Mexico City, the passengers descended from the plane, carrying hand luggage, Mexican media said. They appeared calm and boarded nearby buses. The crew were apparently still on board. Airport officials were not available to commment, but TV images showed security forces swarming the airport. Flights from the airport were grounded. The plane was seized by three men, who appeared to be Bolivian, after it took off from Cancun, a well-known resort popular with US tourists, Mexican media said. One of the passengers, Adriana Romero, told Mexican television she had not realised the flight had been hijacked until the plane landed at Mexico City. "We realised it was a hijack when we saw the police trucks," she said. El Universal daily said the men had not been able to get inside the plane's cockpit. |
||||||||
