Other passengers support man who opened emergency exit and walked on plane's wing in Mexico airport

Vartha Bharati | 28-01-2024 | 20:34:00 IST

Representational Image | PC: PTI

Mexicocity: At first it sounds like a typical case of bad behaviour aboard airplanes.

The Mexico City International Airport acknowledged in a statement on Friday that a man had opened an emergency exit and walked out on a wing of a plane that was parked and waiting for takeoff Thursday.

The airport said the man had been turned over to police.

But dozens of fellow passengers signed a written copy of a statement saying the airline made them wait for four hours without ventilation or water while the flight was delayed. According to photos of the statement posted online, fellow passengers said he acted "to protect everyone, with the support of everyone".

The airport said in a statement that ''yesterday a passenger on a flight to Guatemala opened an emergency door on a plane while it was stationary at a remote position, stood on a wing and then re-entered the cabin, without affecting the aircraft or anyone else''.

"In line with international security regulations, this person turned himself over to the authorities," it said.

At least 77 passengers aboard the AeroMexico flight to Guatemala signed a statement handwritten on notebook paper, photos of which were posted on social media, supporting the man's actions.

"The delay and lack of air created conditions that endangered the health of the passengers. He saved our lives," according to the statement.

The airport said the man had been turned over to police.

"In line with international security regulations, this person turned himself over to the authorities," it said.

At least 77 passengers aboard the AeroMexico flight to Guatemala signed a statement handwritten on notebook paper, photos of which were posted on social media, supporting the man's actions.

"The delay and lack of air created conditions that endangered the health of the passengers. He saved our lives," according to the statement.

An incident report filed with airport authorities largely confirmed that version.

"Around 11:37 a.m., a Mexican airline reported the beginning of a disturbance due to passenger discontent on flight AM672," according to the report.

"The flight had been due to lift off at 8:45 a.m. on Thursday, but because of a maintenance alert on the plane, the captain had to return to the gate for the required maintenance." "The passengers were unhappy and one of them opened the emergency door and stepped out on the wing," the report said. "This event required the plane to be changed." Airport authorities did not identify the man, and they declined to comment on whether he remains in custody or faces charges.

Flight tracking sites confirmed that flight AM672 to Guatemala City was delayed for 4 hours and 56 minutes Thursday.

A video apparently recorded aboard the flight showed passengers fanning themselves and asking a flight attendant for water.

AeroMexico did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.

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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls

25-11-2024 ¦ 25-11-2024 IST

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut | PC: PTI

Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).

Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.

The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.

"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.

Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.

The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."

Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.

"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.

Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.

He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.

"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.