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Officials investigating the death of a person who was sucked into a jet engine in Amsterdam yesterday are yet to identify whether the victim was a man or woman after their body was shredded by the spinning turbines.
The unidentified victim was killed immediately when they were pulled into the KLM passenger plane’s engine at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport yesterday afternoon as it prepared for takeoff.
Passengers and crew members on board the Embraer 190 aircraft – which KLM uses for their Cityhopper service to nearby destinations – told local outlet De Telegraaf that a ‘hellish noise’ came from the engine, which quickly began trailing smoke.
Emergency crews carried out a ‘massive’ response after the horror tragedy was reported around 3pm, with a picture posted by public broadcaster NOS showing the plane surrounded by fire trucks and ambulances.
Investigators from the Dutch military police have said that is was too early to say whether this was an ‘incident’, or a form of suicide, and in a press conference late last night said they were still trying to identify the sex of the victim.
Emergency crews carried out a ‘massive’ response after the horror tragedy was first reported around 3pm on Wednesday
Passengers and crew members were reported to be on board the Embraer 190 aircraft when the incident occurred
Flight 1341 was set to depart from Schiphol in the Netherlands for Billund in Denmark at 2.25pm on Wednesday.
It was unclear from initial reports whether the victim was travelling with the airline or worked at the airport.
An insider told Dutch newspaper AD that the incident was ‘very intense’, adding: ‘After the plane was pushed back to take off, someone walked into the engine.’
A spokesperson for Schiphol told MailOnline: ‘Today there was a terrible incident in which a person ended up in an aircraft engine.
‘Our thoughts are with the relatives and we are providing care for the passengers and colleagues who witnessed this.’
The airport confirmed an investigation was underway to gather more details on the case, led by the Royal Military Police.
The ‘Koninklijke Marechaussee’ Royal Military Police said in a statement: ‘An incident occurred this afternoon on the Schiphol platform where a person fell into a running aircraft engine and died.’
‘All passengers and employees of the flight in question disembarked and are being taken care of,’ the statement added.
Psychological support will be provided for the passengers witness to the incident, military police said. The passengers have since been disembarked from the aircraft.
They noted that the passengers may still be ‘important witnesses’ in helping them understand exactly what happened.
Illustrative image. A KLM Boeing 747 takes off from the runway at Schiphol, Amsterdam
File photo. KLM aircraft are seen on the tarmac at Schipol airport near Amsterdam in 2015
Details remain scarce on the identity of the person and what caused the incident to unfold.
The engine was running at the time of the incident, suggesting the plane was preparing to take-off, according to Dutch daily De Telegraaf.
An airport employee told the outlet the plane was reversing in a ‘pushback’ before taking off.
Airline KLM said in a statement: ‘Today there was a horrible incident at Schiphol in which a person ended up in a running aircraft engine. Sadly the person has died.
‘We receive passengers and employees who have seen this at Schiphol. The circumstances are currently being investigated.
‘For further information – as soon as available – we refer to the Royal Military Police.’
The airline’s CEO, Marjan Rintel, also wrote on X about the ‘terrible incident’: ‘Our thoughts go out to the loved ones of the deceased and all people who witnessed the accident.’
Mark Harbers, Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, said on X: ‘Terrible news about a fatal accident today at Schiphol. My condolences go out to the relatives of the victim and the people who witnessed the accident.’
The Dutch pilots’ union VNV has also expressed its condolences over the ‘tragic incident’ in a statement on X: ‘Our first concern and thoughts go out to those involved and their relatives. We offer our cooperation and expertise in the investigation into the exact cause.’
A statement was also issued by the Dutch Association of Aviation Technicians (NVLT), which said: ‘We are pleased with the care shown by Schiphol Airport and KLM for the passengers and colleagues who witnessed this event.’
Safety and security measures are strict at Schiphol and accidents are rare at the busy airport, which handled around 5.5 million passengers last month alone, according to airport figures.
MailOnline has contacted KLM and Schiphol Airport for comment.