Spain Reportedly Detains 12 People That Escaped Moroccan Plane in Mallorca

MADRID (Sputnik) - Spanish authorities have detained 12 passengers that escaped from a plane of Moroccan airlines after an emergency landing at the airport in the city of Palma on Spain's Mallorca island, Spanish media reported on Saturday.

The airport in Palma was temporarily closed earlier in the day after a group of passengers walked out on the landing strip, the media said.

The incident happened after the Royal Air Maroc plane en route from Casablanca to Istanbul made an urgent landing at the airport for medical reasons as one of the passengers felt sick, the ABC newspaper said. While the plane crew was waiting for a medical team, several passengers reportedly left the plane. The doctors that came to the scene found that the passenger that claimed to be sick was actually healthy.

A total of 24 passengers walked out of the plane, the RTVE broadcaster said. Among the 12 people detained was the passenger that caused the plane to land. The search continues for 12 more passengers who entered the country illegally, the news noted.

The local authorities described the incident as "unprecedented," adding that it had never happened before in any Spanish airport, according to RTVE. There is no information yet on whether the incident was pre-planned. Among those who had left the plane was one Palestinian, while the rest were citizens of Morocco. None of the fugitives have applied for asylum.