A SWISS Airlines flight from Bucharest to Zurich has turned into a terrifying ordeal right before Christmas.
The cabin filled with heavy smoke, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Graz, Austria.
Monday’s incident left 12 passengers injured, while one crew member remains in intensive care after suffering serious injuries.
Footage captured by passengers showed the cabin enveloped in thick smoke, reportedly caused by engine problems.
Witness accounts suggest one of the engines exploded, sparking a fire and filling the cabin with smoke.
“There was a strange noise, a lot of smoke, and people couldn’t breathe,” a passenger told Austrian outlet Kleine Zeitung.
“I was sleeping when I woke up to the smell of smoke. I panicked and didn’t know what was happening.”
Another witness reported seeing an explosion and fire in the engine before the cabin became engulfed in smoke.
The crew made the decision to divert the flight to Graz, where the plane made an emergency landing.
All 74 passengers and five crew members were evacuated from the aircraft.
The local authorities verified that a total of 17 individuals needed medical assistance. This included a flight attendant who was discovered unconscious and had to be revived during the evacuation process.
He was airlifted to a hospital in Graz, where he remains in intensive care.
There has been an increase in negative feedback on social media directed towards the airline due to a photo circulating online showing the interior of the cabin filled with smoke and no visible oxygen masks being used to aid passengers in breathing.
Swiss Airlines has shown worry for the injured crew member, mentioning, “Our hearts go out to those impacted, and we are optimistic about our colleague’s swift recuperation.”
The airline also confirmed that specialists are providing support to the hospitalised crew member’s family.
The company added that a care team, technicians, and support staff had been dispatched to Graz to assist passengers and crew.
The Graz airport was temporarily closed following the incident, causing delays and travel disruptions.
Swiss Airlines arranged a special flight for Tuesday morning to return passengers to Zurich, ensuring they could reach their destination before Christmas.
An investigation into the cause of the engine failure and smoke is underway, with the airline vowing full cooperation with authorities.
