PeakNews Online
Panic and fear had the better of passengers on an American Airlines flight that had to be evacuated just before take off.
According to reports monitored by peaknews.ng on New York Post, the passengers were evacuated and three of them were injured at San Francisco International Airport on Friday after smoke coming from a passenger’s laptop filled the cabin, according to officials.
The crew of the Miami-bound flight reported smoke in the cabin around 12:15 p.m. while the plane was boarding at the gate, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and American Airlines.
Panicked passengers exited the Airbus A321 using emergency slides.
“It was desperate until someone opened the middle door and we were able to escape as we were all blocked in the hallway. Some people [were] slightly injured,” one passenger told KRON4.
The source of the smoke was discovered to be a laptop inside of a passenger’s bag, according to American Airlines.
“The bag was quickly removed by our crew members and all customers exited the aircraft,” the airline told The Post in a statement. “We thank our crew members for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.”
The San Francisco Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the smoking laptop, the department said.
Three minor injuries were reported during the evacuation, including one victim who was taken to an area hospital, according to SFFD and American Airlines.
