Spain: Migrants force emergency landing of plane, flee across tarmac

A commercial plane had to make an emergency landing at Barcelona's El Prat airport on Wednesday (December 7) after a reported medical event on board. According to the Spanish government, as soon as the plane landed, 28 passengers fled across the tarmac.

Police initially detained 14 people, including a pregnant woman who officials claim pretended that her water had broken, prompting the emergency landing, the government said.

The police arrested two people later. One of them was apprehended inside the airport while the other was nabbed outside.

The pregnant woman was checked in hospital and found not to be in labour, the government said.

Twelve other people are yet to be located.

The plane was flying from Morocco to Turkey and was operated by Turkey's Pegasus Airlines.

Five of those detained were immediately put back on the plane while at least eight are to be deported to Morocco.

The plane was carrying a total of 228 passengers from Casablanca to Istanbul.

In October last year, a group of passengers fled a plane onto the runway at Spain's Mallorca island following an emergency landing under a false pretext and 12 of them were arrested, while another 12 escaped.

(With inputs from agencies)

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