A MAN has reportedly been sucked into a plane engine and killed on an airport runway in Milan.
Operations at the busy Orio al Serio Airport, popularly known as Milano Bergamo, came to a halt at 10.20am local time Tuesday after a "fatal accident" on the tarmac.
According to Corriere della Sera, it is not clear whether the victim was a passenger or airport staff member.
The person is believed to have run onto the tarmac and into the path of an Airbus A319 Volotea aircraft bound to Asturias, Spain, as it was taxing for takeoff.
Airport sources told the Italian outlet that the person was pulled into the aircraft engine in a horrifying moment just as the plane was preparing to depart.
The Airbus A319 can be equipped with two main types of engine - the CFM56-5B and the IAE V2500.
Each engine's rotors can spin at nearly 15,000 rotations per minute (RPM).
Airport operator SACBO confirmed a “problem that occurred on the taxiway” and said “the causes of the problem are currently being investigated by the authorities.”
In a statement on X, airline Volotea said: "We're investigating reports of an incident involving our flight V73511 BGY-OVD, which occurred on the ground after boarding was completed and ready for departure.
"We're aware that one individual has sustained serious injuries involving the aircraft engine. More information soon."
Flight operations at Orio al Serio - one of Italy’s busiest airports - have been suspended since the moment of the incident, with a cascading effect on travel across the region.
By 11.50am local time, a total of nine flights had already been diverted - one to Bologna, two to Verona, and six rerouted to Milan Malpensa.
Eight departures were also cancelled outright.
It is not yet known when operations at Milano Bergamo Airport will return to normal.
The airport’s official X account confirmed the halt in operations: “SACBO announces that flight operations at Milan Bergamo Airport were suspended at 10.20 am due to a problem that occurred on the taxiway.
“The causes of the problem are currently being investigated by the authorities.
“The area remains cordoned off as authorities work to determine how the man was able to breach security and get so close to a moving aircraft.
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