Horror final moments of person ‘sucked into plane’s engine’ in harrowing scenes

A person has died at Milan Bergamo airport this morning, forcing all flights to be suspended as investigators scramble to scene to work out how the incident unfolded

A man has died after being “sucked into plane’s engine” on a taxiway at a major European airport this morning. All flights at Italy’s Milano Bergamo were suspended from 10.20am local time (9.20am BST) this morning following the harrowing incident.

Officials are yet to confirm exactly what happened, but local media has reported that the man was being chased by police and ran onto the tarmac where he was allegedly sucked into an aeroplane’s turbine.

According to the reports, police were unable to stop him as he ran towards the aircraft that was already moving and preparing to take off. Budget airline Volotea, which was operating the flight, has since issued a statement addressing the incident and said they have launched an investigation.

READ MORE: Milan Bergamo Airport UPDATES: Person dies after ‘sucked into plane’s engine’

Volotea said: “We’re investigating reports of an incident involving our flight V73511 BGY-OVD, which occurred on the ground after boarding was completed and ready for departure. We’re aware that one individual has sustained serious injuries involving the aircraft engine. More information soon.”

The airport is one of Italy’s busiest, being one of the main access routes for travellers taking holidays to the shopping capital Milan. The victim has been identified as a 35-year-old man, local media has reported.

The plane involved in the accident is an Airbus A319. It was departing to Asturias in Spain when the man was fatally injured shortly after passengers had boarded.

Emergency services have been seen out on the runway and taxiway of the airport after all flights were cancelled.

Despite air traffic officially resuming at the airport, live departures information shows that the majority of flights scheduled for the next three hours are either delayed or cancelled.

The 3.05pm Ryanair flight to Birmingham is currently not affected, though passengers are advised to check with their airline for the latest updates.

Firefighters, airport technicians and police are currently investigating how the incident unfolded.

It’s still unclear how the passenger came to be on the tarmac, or whether he was a passenger or worker at the airport.

The Airbus A319 can be equipped with two main types of engine – the CFM56-5B and the IAE V2500.

Each engine’s rotors can spin at nearly 15,000 rotations per minute (RPM). A significant portion of Milan’s traffic is driven by budget airline Ryanair.

Together with Milan Linate and Milan Malpensa, it is a part of the Milan airport system, which is the biggest in Italy in terms of passenger volume.