Multiple passengers escaped from a Turkish Airlines (TK) aircraft after an emergency landing at Malta Luqa International Airport (MLA) on Wednesday afternoon (January 1, 2025).

The unscheduled landing occurred when the captain requested clearance due to an ill Moroccan passenger.

According to FlightRadar24 data, Turkish Airlines flight TK619 bound for Marrakesh (RAK) took off from Istanbul (IST) at 8:56 AM UTC.

After being airborne for around two hours, the flight diverted to Malta and landed at 11:02 AM UTC.

The flight was operated by Boeing 737 MAX 8, registered as TC-LCI.

Photo: Nabil Molinari | Flickr
The escape happened while the aircraft remained on the runway, prompting an immediate security response.

Police received notification at 1:45 pm, initiating a comprehensive search operation with Armed Forces of Malta personnel across the airport grounds and surrounding areas.

The Moroccan passenger, whose medical condition triggered the emergency landing, remains under police custody at Mater Dei Hospital.

Authorities continue to search ⁹for the escaped passengers across the airport perimeter.

The incident activated Malta’s airport security protocols, mobilizing law enforcement resources for a coordinated manhunt.

Police maintained an active presence in the vicinity while investigating the circumstances surrounding the unauthorized passenger departure.

● Similar Incidents

In May 2024, seventeen Moroccan passengers attempted to flee Rome’s Fiumicino airport following an emergency landing of a flight from Istanbul to Tangier.

The diversion occurred due to a passenger experiencing a heart attack. After landing, Italian security forces intercepted the group, conducting comprehensive passenger verification before clearing the flight’s continuation to Tangier.

This incident mirrors previous escape attempts by Moroccan passengers during emergency landings across European airports. In July 2022, twenty-eight Moroccan passengers attempted to flee after an emergency landing in Barcelona.

A successful escape occurred in November 2021 at Palma de Mallorca airport when passengers fled from a Casablanca-Istanbul flight.

December 2022 marked another incident at Barcelona’s Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport. A Pegasus Airlines (PC) flight from Casablanca to Istanbul requested an emergency landing for a passenger allegedly simulating labor.

During the medical evacuation, twenty-seven passengers attempted unauthorized exit. Police apprehended thirteen individuals, while fourteen successfully evaded capture and remained unlocated.

The recurring nature of these incidents has prompted enhanced security measures at European airports handling emergency landings. Law enforcement agencies maintain heightened vigilance during medical diversions, particularly on routes connecting North Africa and Turkey.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Labour Party (LP) 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has opened up on a merger deal with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) or any other party.

Peter Obi made this known on Thursday morning during a press conference in Abuja on the state of the nation, stating that no agreement has been established with other parties.

The former Governor of Anambra State called on all lovers of Nigeria in the political space to unite in 2027 and defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC), which he accused of mismanaging the country’s resources.

According to him, the level of corruption in Nigeria remained high, including the cost of governance, which has led to an astronomical increase in public debt under the current administration of President Bola Tinubu of the APC.

Peter Obi maintained that government officials willfully mismanaged public funds in 2024 through incessant foreign travels.

Speaking further, Peter Obi frowned at the insecurity situation in the country, stating that it is unfortunate that Nigerians are dying needlessly due to banditry, terrorism, and kidnapping-for-ransom.

Meanwhile, the NNPP 2023 presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has dismissed the purported report of reaching an agreement with the opposition presidential candidate of PDP, Atiku Abubakar, and Peter Obi, to share power by alternating terms.

The genius Media nigeria reports that Kwankwaso, in an interview with the BBC, expressed anger over the lies.

He stressed that he was unaware of such a claim but had heard reports that Atiku’s camp had been meeting with regional leaders, including clerics, to propagate the narrative.

The former governor of Kano State also explained that he had found peace since leaving the PDP for the NNPP and distanced himself from the power-sharing agreement.

The kidnapped senior Anglican cleric, Most Rev. Prof. Godwin Okpala has regained freedom.

Archbishop Okpala was set free alongside his driver.

He confirmed his freedom in a post on his Facebook page, Thursday morning.

The clergyman simply wrote: “Praise the Lord!”

Hundreds of reactions followed immediately, thanking God for his freedom.

Okpala, a retired Archbishop of the Niger Province and Bishop of Nnewi, was released one month after he was abducted.

It could be recalled that he went missing on his way to Umuchu, a community in Anambra State for a burial ceremony.

Details of his release are still sketchy as of the time of filing this report, but it is being celebrated on various social media platforms of the Anglican Communion.

One of such platforms is the official Facebook page of St Stephens Anglican Church.