Snake on a plane forces emergency landing

File photo

London: An EgyptAir flight was forced to divert after a passenger was bitten by a snake he had smuggled on board, the Daily Mail reported on Wednesday.

The pilots decided to perform an emergency landing at a nearby airport on Tuesday after hearing the terrifying screams of the victim.

Al Ahram website reports that the passenger was from Jordan and had secretly stashed the animal in his hand luggage.

The flight, bound for Kuwait, landed at the airport of Hurgada, some 480 kilometres south of the Egyptian capital Cairo.

Once on the ground, the injured passenger was taken to hospital and the snake was confiscated by airport authorities. 

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