Palma de Mallorca police arrested 12 people on Saturday and were looking for 12 others who fled from a plane that had landed urgently the day before at the airport in this Spanish city, an episode possibly linked to the illegal immigration, authorities said.

This incredible incident occurred at 7 p.m. Friday when the aircraft, which was providing a link between Morocco and Turkey, had to land due to the supposed discomfort of a passenger, according to the police.

Police said the passenger behind the incident "appeared to be in a diabetic coma and was taken by ambulance to hospital with a companion."

But on his arrival at this establishment, he was declared to be in perfect health.

The man was arrested for "helping with illegal immigration and violating the immigration law," police added, noting that the person accompanying him fled as soon as he arrived at the hospital.

Temporary closure of Palma airport

"Twelve people have been arrested and 12 others are still wanted," said Aina Calvo, representative of the Spanish government in the Balearic Islands, stressing that this event was "unprecedented".

"Such events have never happened before in any airport in Spain," she said in this regard.

During the evacuation of the supposedly ill passenger, 21 passengers exited the plane and ran away onto the tarmac, Aina Calvo said.

Police immediately began a search which resulted in the airport, one of the busiest in Spain, being closed until midnight.

Another person was arrested for "insults and assault" on the plane.

A total of 24 people, Moroccans except for one who is believed to be a Palestinian, were involved in the incident, Aina Calvo said.

Investigators are trying to find out if "what happened at the airport was an orchestrated and planned event or an isolated incident," she said.

“At the moment, we have no information to confirm that this was an orchestrated operation… or part of a predetermined plan.

But the investigation is in progress ”.

A Casablanca-Istanbul flight from Air Arabia Maroc

According to Aina Calvo, the plane remained on the tarmac "for a while" before the passengers decided to flee from the plane. “At the moment, we cannot say for sure why these 21 people decided to rush to the airstrip,” she noted. Those who fled will be prosecuted for non-compliance with aviation safety rules and illegal entry into Spanish territory and deported to their country of origin, the official said. None have applied for political asylum, she said.

According to the FlightRadar24 application, the aircraft was an Airbus A320 from Air Arabia Maroc, which was flying between Casablanca and Istanbul.

As a result of the incident, 13 planes bound for Palma were rerouted to other airports and 16 departing flights suffered significant delays, according to airport authorities.

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  • Turkey

  • World

  • Airplane

  • Immigration

  • Morocco

  • Mallorca

  • Spain