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EgyptAir plane hijack passenger wrongly accused of holding people hostage on board flight in Cyprus
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EgyptAir plane hijack passenger wrongly accused of holding people hostage on board flight in Cyprus
11:13, 29 MAR 2016 UPDATED 11:28, 29 MAR 2016
BY GEMMA MULLIN
Ibrahim Samaha revealed that crew members initially told passengers there was a problem with the plane before they realised it had been hijacked
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A man who was among terrified passengers on the hijacked EgyptAir plane says he was wrongly accused as the perpetrator.
Ibrahim Samaha was earlier named by Egyptian authorities as the hijacker but after his release from the aircraft, told international media he was not involved.
The veterinarian also revealed that crew members initially told passengers there was a problem with the plane before they realised something was wrong, according to reports.
He told the BBC 's Victoria Derbyshire programme: "I was not the hijacker, I was simply a passenger on that plane and I was released alongside other passengers and had absolutely nothing to do with hijacking the plane.
"We did not know what was going on. We got on board the plane and we were surprised that the crew took all our passports, which is unusual for a domestic flight.
"After a while we realised the altitude was getting higher, then we knew we were heading to Cyprus.
"At first the crew told us there was a problem with the plane and only later did we know it was hijacked."
Seven people - four crew and three passengers - remain on the EgyptAir plane with the hijacker, according to Egypt's civil aviation minister.
The man's motivation is unclear, but Cypriot president Nicos Anastasiades said the hijacking was nothing to do with terrorism, while a Cyprus government official said the man "seems (to be) in love".
A civil aviation official said the man gave negotiators at Larnaca airport the name of a woman who lives in Cyprus and asked to give her an envelope. It is unclear what relationship she and the man have.
Flight MS181 took off from the Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria en route to Cairo with at least 55 passengers, including 26 foreigners, and a seven-member crew
An official with flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 said the plane showed no immediate signs of distress. The flight between Alexandria and Cairo normally takes about 30 minutes.
Egyptian government spokesman Hossam al-Queish identified the man who hijacked the plane as Ibrahim Samah.
Mr Al-Queish told the CBC TV network that authorities could not confirm that the man had explosives on him.
An earlier statement from the Egyptian Aviation Ministry statement said the man claimed he was wearing an explosive belt.
The plane landed at the airport in the southern Cypriot city of Larnaca, also on the Mediterranean.
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The Live Event you are trying to watch is either unavailable or has not started
A man who was among terrified passengers on the hijacked EgyptAir plane says he was wrongly accused as the perpetrator.
Ibrahim Samaha was earlier named by Egyptian authorities as the hijacker but after his release from the aircraft, told international media he was not involved.
News
Politics
Football
Sport
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TRENDINGEGYPT AIR HIJACKSTORM KATIEBRUSSELS TERROR ATTACKPAIGE DOHERTYEASTERWEATHER Technology Money Travel Fashion Mums
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News World news Egypt Air hijack
EgyptAir plane hijack passenger wrongly accused of holding people hostage on board flight in Cyprus
11:13, 29 MAR 2016 UPDATED 11:28, 29 MAR 2016
BY GEMMA MULLIN
Ibrahim Samaha revealed that crew members initially told passengers there was a problem with the plane before they realised it had been hijacked
The Live Event you are trying to watch is either unavailable or has not started
A man who was among terrified passengers on the hijacked EgyptAir plane says he was wrongly accused as the perpetrator.
Ibrahim Samaha was earlier named by Egyptian authorities as the hijacker but after his release from the aircraft, told international media he was not involved.
The veterinarian also revealed that crew members initially told passengers there was a problem with the plane before they realised something was wrong, according to reports.
He told the BBC 's Victoria Derbyshire programme: "I was not the hijacker, I was simply a passenger on that plane and I was released alongside other passengers and had absolutely nothing to do with hijacking the plane.
"We did not know what was going on. We got on board the plane and we were surprised that the crew took all our passports, which is unusual for a domestic flight.
"After a while we realised the altitude was getting higher, then we knew we were heading to Cyprus.
"At first the crew told us there was a problem with the plane and only later did we know it was hijacked."
Seven people - four crew and three passengers - remain on the EgyptAir plane with the hijacker, according to Egypt's civil aviation minister.
The man's motivation is unclear, but Cypriot president Nicos Anastasiades said the hijacking was nothing to do with terrorism, while a Cyprus government official said the man "seems (to be) in love".
A civil aviation official said the man gave negotiators at Larnaca airport the name of a woman who lives in Cyprus and asked to give her an envelope. It is unclear what relationship she and the man have.
Flight MS181 took off from the Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria en route to Cairo with at least 55 passengers, including 26 foreigners, and a seven-member crew
An official with flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 said the plane showed no immediate signs of distress. The flight between Alexandria and Cairo normally takes about 30 minutes.
Egyptian government spokesman Hossam al-Queish identified the man who hijacked the plane as Ibrahim Samah.
Mr Al-Queish told the CBC TV network that authorities could not confirm that the man had explosives on him.
An earlier statement from the Egyptian Aviation Ministry statement said the man claimed he was wearing an explosive belt.
The plane landed at the airport in the southern Cypriot city of Larnaca, also on the Mediterranean.
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News World news Egypt Air hijack
The Live Event you are trying to watch is either unavailable or has not started
A man who was among terrified passengers on the hijacked EgyptAir plane says he was wrongly accused as the perpetrator.
Ibrahim Samaha was earlier named by Egyptian authorities as the hijacker but after his release from the aircraft, told international media he was not involved.