An individual died Wednesday after being sucked into a running airplane engine at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport.

The tragic incident occurred while a KLM flight sat on the tarmac preparing for takeoff.

“The plane, carrying up to 104 passengers, was scheduled to take off for Billund in Denmark at 2.25pm,” The Sun reports.

Witnesses said they heard a “hellish noise” as the unidentified individual was swept into the engine of the KLM Embraer E190 plane.

The flight was grounded after the terrifying incident.

The Sun reports:

One witness told De Telegraaf: “Many people saw it happen.”

An airport employee also told the outlet they saw a person jump into the engine just after the crew had completed the safety instructions.

It is still unclear at this stage whether the victim was a passenger, employee or someone else on the tarmac.

A police spokesperson said it was too early to say whether it was an accident or a possible suicide.

The aircraft was being pushed back from the stand as it was preparing to fly.

Per CBS News:

“An… incident took place at Schiphol today during which a person ended up in a running aircraft engine,” Dutch flagship carrier KLM said in a statement.

“Sadly the person has died,” KLM said, without disclosing the victim’s identity.

The airline did not say if the victim was an airport employee, a passenger or someone else.

Dutch border police, who are responsible for security at the Netherlands’ largest airport, said passengers were removed from the plane and an investigation was opened.

The plane involved is a short-haul Embraer jet, used by KLM’s Cityhopper service, which operates flights to other nearby destinations like London, Dutch news reports said.

 

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