RSOE Emergency and Disaster Information Service

Situation Update No. 1

Posted:2010-03-21, 09:10:23 [UTC]

Ref.no.: EH-20100321-25394-DEU

Situation Update No. 1
On 2010-03-21 at 13:25:11 [UTC]

Event: Epidemic Hazard
Location: Germany State of Bavaria München International Airport [Lufthansa Flight LH-714] München

Number of Infected: 80 person(s)

A Lufthansa Airbus A340-600, registration D-AIHN performing flight LH-714 from Munich (Germany) to Tokyo Narita (Japan) with about 300 passengers, had departed the gate on its way to Tokyo, when 80 passengers started to complain about stomach-ache. The crew decided to return to the gate. 20 ambulances and 11 emergency doctors were dispatched to Munich Airport delivering 23 passengers to local hospitals. Local Munich media report, that parts of Munich city temporarily were without medical cover as result of the incident. 57 passengers were taken to hotels under medical supervision. Police had reported, that the airplane was on its way to Tokyo and flight attendants had just started meal service, when the passengers started to complain about stomach-ache prompting the crew to return to Munich where the airplane landed safely two hours after departure. However, Police do not believe in food poisoning by the flight's catering as cause of the stomach-aches. Several passengers suffer from severe illness. Lufthansa reported, that the airplane had just reached but not entered the runway and was about to takeoff, when passengers belonging to a Japanese travel group started to complain about stomach-ache prompting the crew to return to the gate, which required them to enter and taxi along the runway. Radar data confirm, that the aircraft had not been airborne before the airplane returned to the ramp. The airplane departed again 3:45 hours later, however without the travel group. Additional data received Sunday morning (Mar 21st) confirm, the airplane departed the gate at 15:58L and reached the ramp at 16:24L and departed the ramp at 19:25L getting airborne at 19:35L.