In Belize, a man hijacked a plane and stabbed three people on board: he was shot dead by one of the injured passengers
Kyiv • UNN
In Belize, an armed man with a knife hijacked a plane with 14 passengers, injuring three. One of the injured passengers, who had a gun license, shot the attacker after landing.
An American citizen armed with a knife hijacked a small plane in Belize carrying 14 passengers and stabbed three people on board. When the plane landed near Belize City, the hijacker was shot dead by an injured passenger who had a gun. Belizean authorities have declared a state of emergency due to the incident.
This was reported by UNN with a link to the Independent.
Details
The publication notes that the attacker boarded a Tropic Air plane carrying 14 passengers and two crew members from Corozal, a small town near Belize's border with Mexico, to the popular tourist destination of San Pedro.
The hijacker has been identified as Akinyela Sava Taylor, a 49-year-old US veteran, according to Belize Police Commissioner Chester Williams. The Police Commissioner added that it was unclear how Taylor managed to board the plane with a knife and admitted that small airports in the country do not take adequate security measures.
The plane flew in circles while tragic events unfolded on board. A police helicopter followed the plane until it landed at an airport in the coastal town of Ladyville. Due to the incident, the Belizean authorities declared a state of emergency.
The hijacker stabbed three people on board, including the pilot and a passenger who shot Taylor with a licensed firearm when the plane landed near Belize City. After landing, the injured pilot, passengers and Taylor were taken to hospital, but the hijacker died of gunshot wounds
The passenger with a knife, who managed to shoot Taylor, was licensed to carry a firearm and subsequently handed the weapon over to the police, Police Commissioner Williams noted.
The shooter who killed the hijacker suffered a stab wound to the back and a punctured lung. He remains in serious condition.
We pray for him. He is our hero
"Our pilot acted with extraordinary courage and composure, guiding the plane to a safe landing. His actions were heroic," the Belizean airline said in a statement.
US reaction
US State Department spokeswoman Temmy Bruce said at a briefing in Washington that officials were still gathering information about the incident.
It's awful. We are grateful, I think we are all grateful that this did not turn into a mass event with, I believe, more than a dozen people on the plane. Obviously, we know a few details. We don't know more
Luke Martin, a spokesman for the US Embassy in Belize, said Taylor also insisted on being taken to the US.
We don't know why he wanted to return to the United States
Recall
On Volaris flight 3041, a passenger attacked a flight attendant and tried to enter the cockpit. The crew managed to detain the attacker, after which the plane landed in Guadalajara.