Marburg scare grounds SAA plane
2005-04-20 09:08
Cape Town - A South African Airways (SAA) flight heading for Luanda, Angola, was grounded at Johannesburg International on Tuesday night after a Marburg scare, SABC reported on Wednesday.
A passenger fell ill shortly before take-off with what authorities suspect may be Marburg-related illness.
About 300 passengers spent the night at home or in nearby hotels.
JJ Tabane for SAA said: "On our flight to Luanda a passenger fell ill upon final approach.
"We reported this passenger to the authorities to be checked, given the situation in Luanda as you know it."
The passenger was immediately taken for tests. Preliminary results could not confirm any link to the highly infectious disease.
Meanwhile, the aircraft has been placed under quarantine, pending clearance by health authorities.
A replacement flight was scheduled for 09:00 Wednesday morning.