Radioactive material leaks from suitcase on flight between Barcelona, Zurich
A suitcase on a Swiss passenger plane is believed to have leaked "low-intensity" radioactive material on a flight in Spain on Tuesday, officials say.
The suitcase was on a Swiss Airlines flight between Barcelona and Zurich, and contained a medical product in a cardboard box that officials believe was damaged, according to the Catalan newspaper El Nacional.
The flight had about 130 passengers on board and was held for a couple hours at the Barcelona-El Prat Airport, multiple media outlets reported. The country's civil defense force says radiological experts checked the plane and has since declared the area safe, MSN reported.
Trànsit Aeri de Catalunya told El Nacional that five employees and some passengers on the flight were being held in isolation at a medical center as an extra precaution and because of protocol.
The emergency alert system was activated
#Protecciocivil ha activat aquest matí preventivament l'ALERTA dels plans d'emergències AEROCAT i RADCAT davant l'avís d'una incidència en un paquet amb material radioactiu, de baixa intensitat, transportat dins una aeronau
— Protecció civil (@emergenciescat) February 20, 2024
In a post on X Catalonia's Civil Protection agency said it sent out an AEROCAT alert for emergencies involving airplanes, and RADCAT alert for emergencies involving radioactive material in response to the incident.
The terminal was cordoned off for safety precautions as a part of the emergency systems.
El Mundo, a Spanish newspaper, reported it was deactivated at 1:35 p.m. local time after being deemed safe.
Running like usual
The airport was still running normally despite the possible exposure, however the terminal was condoned off according to MSN.
According to the media outlet, Spain’s airport operator said that other flights were not affected by the incident.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Radioactive material spills on flight between Barcelona, Zurich