An EgyptAir airliner has been hijacked by a man claiming to be wearing an explosives belt.
According to local sources Flight MS181, an Airbus A320 carrying 81 passengers from Alexandria to Cairo, was hijacked and forced to divert to Larnaca airport in Cyprus.
BREAKING Airbus A320-20 flight #MS181 from Cairo has been hijacked https://t.co/tqFPgUKUbI pic.twitter.com/1vcw3qpSMX
— AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) March 29, 2016
No demands have been made by those in control of the plane and negotiations have resulted in the release of all those on board apart from the crew and four passengers.
Larnaca airport has been closed and scheduled flights diverted elsewhere.
Nearly all hijacked passengers released in Cyprus, #EgyptAir says – see #BBCAfricaLive https://t.co/vxLX2gXVlP pic.twitter.com/EkACH023BV
— BBC Africa (@BBCAfrica) March 29, 2016
The Egyptian civil aviation ministry said in a statement: “The pilot said that a passenger told him he had an explosives vest and forced the plane to land in Larnaca.”
Cypriot foreign ministry Alexandros Zenon told French television: “The information we have so far is that it is one hijacker. The person has yet to make any demands.”
[Live] Hijacked #EgyptAir flight: 4 passengers & crew remain on plane – aviation officials https://t.co/19MB6MKzR8 https://t.co/Up84T1GqXe
— euronews (@euronews) March 29, 2016
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