By Editor Elizabeth Haigh Natalia Penza
Eighteen people have been injured after a fire broke out on a Ryanair plane at Majorca airport.
The small blaze broke out just after midnight, with passengers filmed abandoning the plane via one of its wings before jumping to the tarmac as firefighters and police rushed to the scene.
Regional medical emergency response co-ordinators said 18 people were treated for minor injuries, with six taken to hospital.
Three were taken to a private clinic in Palma called ClÃnica Rotger and the other three to Hospital Quironsalud Palmplanas.
It was not immediately clear what type of injuries they had suffered.
The plane was reportedly about to leave Palma Airport, although its intended destination has not been confirmed.
Emergency services were called to the scene at 12:35am on Saturday morning.
Four ambulances were mobilised and sent to the scene along with airport-based firefighters and the Civil Guard.
A spokesman for a regional government-run emergency response coordination centre confirmed early this morning: ‘We received an alert about a fire on a plane on the ground at Palma airport at 00.36am today.
‘Four ambulances were sent to the scene which were two basic life support units and two advanced life support unit.
‘Eighteen people were injured and received medical assistance of whom six were taken to hospital.
‘They were all minor. Three went to the Clinica Rotger and three to the Palmaplanas Hospital.’
A confused airport worker was overheard telling a colleague in a walkie-talkie message: ‘Do you know the plane has emergency exits?’ as frightened travellers were filmed jumping to the tarmac from one of its wings in their rush to get away.
He added: ‘Plane about to leave from apron ten or eight and now the people are jumping from the wing onto the ground.
‘Something’s happening, something’s happening, they’re evacuating the plane. Now the firefighters are coming.’
This is a breaking news story and is being updated.