/ 28 September 2004

Scorpion stings passenger on Nigerian flight

A Nigerian passenger on a local flight from the southern town of Enugu to Lagos was stung by a scorpion that had found its way into his trousers, officials said on Monday.

The victim — Kingsley Adimike — was rushed to a clinic for treatment at the Lagos airport.

The incident on the Sunday afternoon flight caused a stampede aboard the DC-9 private aircraft among the more than 60 passengers on board, said an airport official.

”Everybody scampered for safety to avoid being beaten by the scorpion. The situation led to a fright and confusion in the aircraft,” he said.

He said the crew and passengers were later evacuated and the aircraft was fumigated to get rid of its unwanted passenger.

No-one could say exactly how the deadly creature found its way into the aircraft, officials said. – Sapa-AFP