False fire alarm Triggers Panic on Ryanair Flight in Majorca, 18 Injured

A Ryanair flight which was scheduled to leave from Majorca’s Palma Airport for Manchester descended into chaos early Thursday morning due to a false fire alarm which led to the emergency evacuation of the aircraft. Also, Ryanair put out an apology to those affected and have agreed to fully cooperate with the airport authorities.

Eighteen (18) passengers reported injuries, out of which 6 were taken to the local hospitals. Three were taken to Clínica Rotger, a private clinic in Palma, while the remaining three were admitted to Hospital Quironsalud Palmaplanas, also located in the island's capital

Police investigation

The incident occurred at approximately 12:36 AM, when a fire alert set in motion emergency protocols while the plane was still on the ground. Passengers, who were in a state of shock, were seen jumping from the aircraft’s wings onto the tarmac. Emergency response teams, including firefighters and police forces, rushed to the scene as panic spread among the passengers. 

Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the false alarm. Moreover, the emergency response coordination center reported that they received the report just after midnight and stated that they quickly dispatched medical and security teams.

Videos of the scene viral on social media

Footages from the runaway are getting viral on social media. These videos showed scared passengers trying to get out of the emergency exits, with some directly jumping from the wings instead of using the inflatable slides. 

An airport worker was overheard via a walkie-talkie telling a colleague “Do you know the plane has emergency exits?" He further said, “Plane about to leave from apron ten or eight and now the people are jumping from the wing onto the ground. Something's happening, something's happening, they're evacuating the plane. Now the firefighters are coming."

Ryanair confirmed that the take-off was suspended due to a false warning alert. The airline said, "This flight from Palma to Manchester, on July 4, discontinued take-off due to a false fire warning light indication. Passengers disembarked using the inflatable slides and returned to the terminal.” A replacement aircraft was arranged, and the rescheduled flight departed Palma at 07:05 AM.