Italian man, 35, dies after getting sucked into plane engine at Italy airport

A man in northern Italy died after he was sucked into the engine of a plane preparing to take off at Bergamo Airport in the Lombardy region on Jul. 8, CNN reported.

The victim was reportedly neither a passenger nor an airport employee.

The incident occurred at 10:35am on Tuesday in Italy (4:35pm Singapore time).

Forced his way onto tarmac

He allegedly forced his way onto the runway and was chased by airport security who could not catch up to him on the tarmac, a spokesperson for airport management company SACBO said.

Witnesses said the man went into the airport terminal by driving the wrong way down a road, Sky News reported.

The man was identified as a 35-year-old Italian by local media.

News reports said he burst into the airport and used an emergency exit to rush onto the runway toward an aircraft that was about to take off.

Incident initially shared on social media

Spanish airline Volotea wrote on social media that its flight from Bergamo to Asturias in Spain was involved in an “incident”.

The X post read: “One person not onboard and not affiliated with the company was seriously injured. All 154 passengers and six crew are safe.”

“We are doing everything possible to support the affected passengers and crew, providing them with psychological support, while working in close coordination with the Italian authorities.”

Flights grounded

Bergamo Airport is Italy’s third largest by passenger volume.

Aircraft tracking website Flightradar24 indicated that the plane was an Airbus A319.

About 19 flights were suspended, but they resumed at mid-day.

Top photos via X