Spain: Fleeing migrants force Palma de Mallorca airport to halt operations for 4 hours

After an apparent effort by migrants to enter the country illegally, one of Spain's busiest airports was shut down for about four hours on Friday, November 5. A plane on its way to Istanbul in Turkey from Morocco was diverted to Spain's Palma de Mallorca following a medical issue was reported aboard, reported BBC News outlet. The report stated that once the plane landed, as many as 21 people rushed across the runways escaping over the outer fence. Although police got hold of a few of them, at least 12 people were still at large as of Saturday, November 6. Meanwhile, the police are also looking into the group's escape from the plane was spontaneous or part of a larger scheme to illegally enter the country, reported the outlet. 

Illegal immigrants shut down busy Spanish airport 

Aina Calvo, the chief Spanish government official in charge of the Balearic Islands, described the incident as 'unprecedented' for a Spanish airport. The drama unfolded when emergency responders boarded the Air Arabia Maroc plane to rescue a Moroccan man who had reportedly slipped into a diabetic coma. As they did so, 21 other passengers dashed down the steps and fled, hiding under parked planes. The Moroccan man was released and detained for illegally entering the country after a health check at a hospital revealed he was in good health. Meanwhile, a fellow traveller who accompanied him to the hospital is said to have disappeared, BBC News reported citing Spain's Efe news agency.  

'The Guardia Civil detained most of the escapees'

The Guardia Civil apprehended most of the escapees, with one arrested walking along the road to Manacor, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin. Investigators informed Spanish radio station Cadener SER that they believe the incident was staged in order to divert the plane to Spain and illegally enter the European country. It should be mentioned here that as a result of the incident, as many as 60 domestic and international planes were diverted or delayed. A Eurowings flight from Munich arrived at 8:10 p.m. local time, the last flight before the closure. Later, the Air Arabia Maroc plane flew to Turkey with its remaining passengers. 

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