Jet evacuated after smoke scare

Paramedics dealt with minor injuries at the airport

A passenger flight from Manchester Airport was evacuated on Monday morning after smoke was detected in the aircraft.

All 89 passengers and five crew were taken off the KLM flight to Amsterdam after the alert was raised at 0620 BST, as the craft taxied on the runway.

Five people suffered minor injuries during the evacuation, after smoke was spotted in a toilet at the rear of the Fokker 100 aircraft.

A KLM spokeswoman said: "The captain took the precautionary decision to evacuate the aircraft immediately.

'Not suspicious'

"The captain operated the emergency chutes and all the passengers and crew evacuated to safety using those chutes.

"Emergency services, including the fire service and paramedics, were on the scene throughout."

The jet, which has a passenger capacity of 100, was being inspected by KLM engineers and the Dutch airline launched a full investigation.

The incident was not being treated as suspicious and it was thought the smoke might have been caused by an electrical fault. The plane was taken out of service.

All the passengers, including a small child, were taken to the departure terminal and given refreshments.

The KLM spokesman said those with minor injuries were treated at the scene by paramedics.

Airport strikes

Passengers were booked on to alternative flights, and those who missed connecting flights will be given new tickets.

The aircraft has been taken out of service.

There have been a number of strikes at Manchester Airport this year, including one over the Easter weekend, as union members protest at plans to cut the number of security guards.

Manchester Airport was the scene of a major air disaster on August 22, 1985, when 55 people died as a holiday jet taxiing on the runway caught fire.

Of the 137 people on board, two members of crew and 53 passengers died, largely through smoke inhalation.