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| EgyptAir hijack: Larnaca negotiations continue | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Most of the passengers and crew who were on board a hijacked Egyptian plane that was forced to divert to Larnaca airport in Cyprus have been freed. | |
| EgyptAir Flight MS181 was taken over after a passenger claimed to be wearing a suicide explosive belt. | |
| Reports say the lone hijacker wants to talk to his estranged wife in Cyprus, and the Cypriot president has said the hijack was not a terrorist incident. | |
| Egypt's civil aviation minister said seven people remained on board the jet. | |
| Live updates | Live updates |
| Sherif Fathy identified them as the pilot, the co-pilot, a female stewardess, a security officer and three passengers whose nationalities he refused to divulge. | |
| He added that negotiations with the hijacker - who had made no specific demands - were continuing, and that it was unclear whether the hijacker had taken explosives on board or whether he was bluffing. | |
| Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said: "We are doing our utmost in order for everyone to be released and safe." | |
| In response to a reporter's question about whether the hijacker was motivated by romance, he laughed and said: "Always there is a woman involved." | |
| EgyptAir said the Airbus A320 was carrying 56 passengers from Alexandria to Cairo, along with six crew and a security official. It had earlier said 81 passengers were on board. | |
| A senior Alexandria airport official said those on board the flight when it took off included eight Americans, four Britons, four Dutch, two Belgians, one Italian and 30 Egyptians. | A senior Alexandria airport official said those on board the flight when it took off included eight Americans, four Britons, four Dutch, two Belgians, one Italian and 30 Egyptians. |
| "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. | "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. |
| Larnaca airport, on the south coast of Cyprus, has been closed and scheduled flights diverted elsewhere. | Larnaca airport, on the south coast of Cyprus, has been closed and scheduled flights diverted elsewhere. |
| Are you at Larnaca airport? Have you been you affected by this story? Email us: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk | Are you at Larnaca airport? Have you been you affected by this story? Email us: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |