Kingston: A Delta Air Lines plane aborted takeoff in Jamaica after a fire was reported in its cargo area, forcing 160 people and six crew members to evacuate the commercial jetliner which was scheduled to fly from Montego Bay to Atlanta.
Nobody was injured in the afternoon incident yesterday at Sangster International Airport in the northern tourist city of Montego Bay. A Delta spokeswoman said the flight-deck warning was not accurate and there was no fire.
Photos posted on the Jamaica Gleaner’s website show passengers using emergency chutes on the Boeing 737 to get off the aircraft and onto the runway.
The Jamaican airport was forced to close after the incident and all flights were rerouted to the island’s capital of Kingston.
The Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority said all efforts were made to reopen the runway to minimize disruptions.
Investigators have started looking into what caused the fire warning indication from the plane’s cargo bay.