Security scare delays flight because schoolboy saw passenger 'writing in Arabic'

February 21, 2014

Amsterdam, Feb 21: An easyJet flight was grounded for two hours after a security alert was sparked when schoolchildren reported seeing a man writing Arabic in a notebook.

The students, who were aged 15 and 16, alerted cabin crew after spotting the man writing in what appeared to be Arabic script, while waiting for take off.

jet
The flight from Amsterdam to Newcastle was delayed to allow for 16 of the 45-strong group of students, believed to be from a school in Northumberland, to get off the aircraft.

Technical support worker Adam Robson, 21, who was sat next to the man, said he first became aware of the issue when he felt kicking and banging on the back of his seat as one of the student's suffered a panic attack.

He said: 'The guy had a notebook and people were looking over at it as it had both Arabic writing and English words.

'One of the students called a flight attendant over and pointed it out,' said Mr Robson, from Newcastle's West End, who had been on a romantic weekend away with his girlfriend Lauren.

'She went away, but just as we were about to take off there was a kicking and banging on my seat from behind us and the student was having a panic attack.

'He went from the window seat into the aisle and ran to the back of the plane.

'The next think we know the pilot has come on and said for safety reasons we were going back to the terminal.'

Mr Robson said he and other passengers were kept aboard the aircraft as a number of the pupils and their luggage were taken off the aircraft - as temperatures in the cabin soared to 30 degrees.

'The attendants had to bring us cups of cold water because it was so hot,' he said.

Passenger Adam Robson, who was sitting next to the man on the flight which took off from Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, said he 'was harmless'. He said the man was an Iranian masters student at Teesside University and had been in Amsterdam visiting his wife

The flight, on Monday, eventually took off, with Mr Robson chatting to the man, who he said seemed 'completely harmless'.

'It turns out he was an Iranian masters student at Teesside University and the reason he was in Amsterdam was because his wife was studying there as she'd been unable to transfer to a North East university.

'He makes the trips regularly and he said he always carries his notebook, which he showed me. It had some Arabic, but the further through you went the more English it had as he had written down sections of newspapers and was using it to teach himself more of the language, he said.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
November 18,2024

boylighting.jpg

Mangaluru: A 14-year-old boy, Subodh, tragically lost his life after being struck by lightning while sitting outside his home in Kedila village, Bantwal taluk, on Sunday evening.

The incident occurred around 5:30 PM while Subodh, an 8th-grade student at Kalladka Shriram High School, was seated outside his house. Lightning struck him, leaving him unconscious. 

Family members rushed him to a nearby clinic and later to a private hospital in Puttur, where doctors confirmed his death upon arrival.

The boy's body was sent to Puttur Government Hospital for a post-mortem.

Tahsildar Archana Bhat has directed revenue officials to assist the grieving family. Vitla Revenue Inspector Prashanth Shetty, Village Administrative Officer Anil Kumar, Kedila Panchayat President Harish Valtaje, and panchayat members visited the family to offer their condolences and support.

This heartbreaking incident highlights the unpredictability of nature’s fury, leaving a community mourning the untimely loss of a young life.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
November 7,2024

Udupi, Nov 7: In a tragic turn of events, a young woman, Prasanna, aged 29, allegedly died by suicide on Wednesday, struggling to cope with the demands of work and motherhood after the birth of her daughter, according to police reports.

Prasanna had married on December 2, 2022, and was the mother of a 10-month-old baby girl. Her husband works in Bengaluru, while she lived with her in-laws, who, according to her family, treated her kindly.

In a complaint, Prasanna's mother revealed that her daughter often called her, expressing deep concerns over her readiness for motherhood. Despite receiving supportive care from her family, Prasanna felt unprepared and overwhelmed by the balance of work and home life that early motherhood required.

Her family shared that she had been undergoing treatment, but between 10 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. on Wednesday, she allegedly took her own life at her husband’s residence. The Karkala Rural Police Station has registered a case and is conducting further investigations.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
November 11,2024

hospital.jpg

Mangaluru: In a deeply tragic turn of events, a 28-year-old woman named Ranjitha, who had recently given birth but tragically lost her newborn, ended her life by suicide on Monday. She reportedly leapt from the fourth-floor window of Lady Goschen Hospital’s luggage room.

Ranjitha, whose strength and resilience had carried her through a difficult pregnancy, was scheduled for discharge on Monday. Her journey to Lady Goschen Hospital began on October 24, when she was transferred from Karkala. She was a high-risk patient, battling both hypertension and diabetes. At the time of her admission, she was just 27 weeks pregnant.

Due to the complexities of her health, doctors made the difficult decision to perform an emergency C-section on October 30. She delivered a baby girl, premature and weighing only 960 grams. The newborn was immediately moved to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where doctors did all they could. Despite these efforts, the baby passed away on November 3.

Ranjitha’s sorrow was profound. She stayed under hospital care even after her initial recovery and was preparing to go home on November 9. She had even requested a couple more days at the hospital, seeking time perhaps to cope with her unimaginable grief.

On the day of her discharge, a discharge card ready and her family eagerly waiting to take her home, Ranjitha reportedly made her way to the luggage room in the early hours. There, standing on a cot placed for patients' family members, she climbed to a window and fell from the fourth floor. Despite the attempts of another visitor to intervene, tragedy was inevitable. She was rushed to Government Wenlock Hospital, where doctors confirmed the worst—she was no more.

Dr. Durgaparasad M R, the Medical Superintendent at Lady Goschen Hospital, shared his grief and spoke of the ongoing investigation. A post-mortem is to be conducted, and the local Tahsildar will complete the necessary inquest procedures. Ranjitha’s exact reasons for taking this step are yet to be confirmed, though the weight of her recent losses paints a sorrowful picture.

If you or anyone you know is struggling emotionally, please remember that help is available. Reach out to mental health experts who can provide support and guidance. The toll-free helpline number 9152987821 is available to assist anyone in distress.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.