SHOCKING video footage shows the moment firefighters in hazmat suits storm a grounded flight.
Passengers on a British Airways flight were left terrified and without explanation when hazmat clad firefighters boarded their plane.
SuppliedThe moments hazmat suit clad firefighters swarmed a British Airways flight.[/caption]
KennedyNews/MelanieWellsItalian firefighters in hazmat suits swarmed the plane[/caption]
SuppliedPassengers left terrified as hazmat clad firefighters walked through with breathing equipment[/caption]
The flight had made an emergency landing after a technical issue was identified, causing the cabin to descend into a panic.
In apocalyptic footage, multiple people in the full-body white suits with breathing equipment were filmed on the flight, even assisting a passenger off using a gurney.
Passenger Melanie Wells said she was left “terrified” and the cabin crew “panicking” when staff fell “seriously ill”.
Melanie and her 19-year-old daughter had been on their way to Egypt for an eight-day all inclusive £7500 luxury TUI holiday.
However, after boarding the flight, the 61-year-old mother began to develop a bad headache, which she believed was caused by the “extreme temperature” inside the plane.
“When we boarded, the temperature was so extreme that I started to feel unwell – it was supersonically hot,” she said.
“I ended up getting a really bad headache and put it down to the heat.”
Just two hours into the flight, Melanie said crew members had collapsed in the aisle after falling “seriously ill”.
“About an hour and a half in the air, crew members suddenly began running down the aisle backwards and forwards, I didn’t know what was going on,” she said.
“There was one mum whose eyes rolled into the back of her head – the crew looking after them had actually collapsed because of the fumes.”
After the December 23 flight made an emergency landing in Venice, Italy, firefighters clad in hazmat suits swamped the plane, sending it into “pandemonium”.
At the sight of the hazmat suits and testing devices, Melanie was left terrified she’d fell ill due to ‘toxic fumes’ wafting throughout the cabin.
BA confirmed there had been a “technical issue” on board and the flight was diverted back to London after eight hours.
Melanie – who “hadn’t been away for ages” – said the ordeal “ruined” the start of her “much needed “ holiday and has called for further compensation from the airline.
“I’d really pushed the boat out, I hadn’t been very well so treated me and my daughter to an ultra-high-end all-inclusive in Sharm El Sheikh,” she said.
Melanie said passengers were “told nothing the whole time”.
“We landed and the whole plane was surrounded by police, ambulances, fire services,” she said.
“I was absolutely terrified – I was out of my mind with worry, I was really fearful. It was pandemonium. The staff were in pure panic mode.”
KennedyNews/MelanieWellsPassengers were removed from the flight[/caption]
KennedyNews/MelanieWellsAfter an eight hour delay, passengers were flown back to London[/caption]
“I was thinking, ‘have we all been inhaling toxic fumes?’ At no point did the captain give us any information,” she added.
After being diverted back to London, the flight and all passengers returned to schedule and landed in Egypt the following day.
Melanie said the £2130 BA offered in compensation for the cancelled flight, meal expenses and issues faced was not enough.
“We were travelling for 40 hours. We were utterly exhausted. The experience was horrific,” she said.
Melanie said the airline had behaved in “the most cavalier manner” after they refused to refund her for the first night of accommodation lost in Egypt.
“The distress and trauma we went through, it was utterly traumatic,” she said.
“It ruined the start of our holiday.
“I want the £500 for the missed accommodation too. It was a horrific experience.”
A BA spokesperson said: “The safety of our customers and colleagues is always our top priority”.
“Our aircraft diverted as a precaution because of a technical issue,” they continued.
“We’ve apologised to our customers for their experience and have offered compensation accordingly.”
“It was definitely a flight from hell.”
KennedyNews/MelanieWellsMelanie said it was the “flight from hell”[/caption]
KennedyNews/MelanieWellsBA said the flight was landed due to a technical issue[/caption]