Emergency landing leaves 12 injured as smoke fills Swiss flight

The incident occurred late in the afternoon on December 23. According to witnesses, one of the engines exploded, causing a fire and filling the cabin with smoke. "There was a strange noise, a lot of smoke, people couldn’t breathe," one of the passengers told the Austrian portal Kleine Zeitung. Another added, "I was asleep when the smell of smoke woke me up. I panicked and didn't know what was happening."

The crew immediately decided to divert the flight to Graz, where the plane safely made an emergency landing 97 minutes after taking off from Bucharest. All 74 passengers and five crew members were evacuated. Police confirmed that several people needed medical assistance. Among them was a steward who was found unconscious during the evacuation and had to be resuscitated. He was transported by helicopter to a hospital in Graz, where he remains in intensive care.

In photos from the smoke-filled cabin, it is noticeable that oxygen masks did not drop from the ceiling. Internet users are outraged and question why this happened online. The airline has yet to address this issue.

SWISS Airlines expressed solidarity with those impacted and conveyed its hopes for the recovery of its hospitalized colleague. The airline also confirmed that specialists support the hospitalized employee’s family.

The company sent a care team, technicians, and support staff to Graz to assist passengers and crew. The Graz airport was temporarily closed after the incident, leading to delays and disruptions. SWISS Airlines organized a special flight on Tuesday, December 24, early in the morning, to transport passengers to Zurich, ensuring they reached their destination before the holidays.

An investigation into the cause of the engine failure and cabin smoke is ongoing, and the airline has pledged full cooperation with authorities.