EgyptAir hijack: Most passengers freed at Larnaca airport

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A picture from the Larnaca airport in Cyprus

Most of the passengers on board a hijacked Egyptian airliner that was forced to divert to Cyprus have been freed, the airline says.

EgyptAir said negotiations had resulted in the release of all those on board Flight MS181 apart from the crew and four foreign passengers.

Video from Larnaca airport has shown people leaving the plane and boarding a bus.

It was taken over after a passenger said he was wearing an explosives belt.

Live updates

Flight MS181 was carrying 81 passengers from Alexandria to Cairo.

Latest reports from Cypriot media suggest there is just one hijacker who was motivated by "personal reasons" and may be seeking asylum - although this has not been confirmed.

Larnaca airport, on the south coast of Cyprus, has been closed and scheduled flights diverted elsewhere.

"The pilot said that a passenger told him he had an explosives vest and forced the plane to land in Larnaca," the Egyptian civil aviation ministry said in a statement.

Source: bbc.com

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