Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Scare aborts flight in Australia

Updated at 10:07 pm on 24 May 2012

A passenger flight in Australia was forced to turn back to Melbourne after a suspicious item was found on board on Wednesday.

The Air Mauritius flight, with about 190 people on board, was 90 minutes into its flight to Perth when the captain declared an emergency.

Air Mauritius says the flight was aborted because a suspicious item was found on board.

Emergency services, including 12 fire trucks, were put on standby for a major incident but the plane landed safely at Melbourne airport. Passengers then left the aircraft.

The flight was on its way to Mauritius via Perth.

Police Superintendent Peter O'Neil says the plane was searched and a soft drink can examined. The ABC reports the can had been found in a public area of the aircraft with the word bomb written across it.

Melbourne air space was closed for 20 minutes during the emergency landing. The 180 passengers and nine crew were accommodated overnight.

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