At 11:23 local time in southeastern Mexico this Monday (GMT -6), several sounds similar to gunshots were heard breaking the normal routine at Cancun International Airport. Precisely, detonations have been reported in Terminal 3, sowing panic and chaos among tourists and employees who evacuated the premises.
Such was the chaos that several passengers and employees entered the apron and taxiway of the airport.
At first, local media reported shooting after what appeared to be gunshots, but authorities ruled that out after inspecting the area.
Twitter:
🚨 URGENTE
El fiscal de Quintana Roo, Óscar Montes de Oca: “no hay indicios balísticos”, dice que fue “un estruendo” lo que ocasionó el pánico en la Terminal 3 del Aeropuerto de #Cancún.
— LuisCardenasMX (@LuisCardenasMx) March 28, 2022
Pánico en el aeropuerto de #Cancun en #Mexico , gente corriendo y gritando al escuchar disparos en la Terminal 3. #CancunAirport #AeropuetodeCancun#QuintanaRoo pic.twitter.com/IEAMYgSAvc
— AUSTROHÚNGARO (@AUSTROHNGARO2) March 28, 2022
The Attorney General’s Office of Quintana Roo has informed that it is not confirmed that there was a shooting, but that possibly a baggage claim machine exploded.
They also ruled out that there is no danger at the airport and assured that there are no injured people in the terminal.
However, the airport activated a code red while awaiting confirmation of the facts.
Air operations remained normal in the rest of the terminals. The airport’s Emergency Operations Center later confirmed that after discarding indications of firearms detonations or explosions, flights were also resumed in Terminal 3.
Of the 218 flights scheduled to depart from 11:30 a.m. to 0:00 a.m. tonight, at the time of this publication there have been about 40 delays of more than 30 minutes. In the meantime, another twenty flights scheduled for the remainder of the day also have significant delays in their departures. Cancun had almost 600 flights scheduled today between arrivals and departures.
Cancun, one of Mexico’s main tourist destinations, has not escaped the drug violence that is experienced in the country. However, with much greater intensity in other regions with attacks by hired killers in hotels or on beaches, hence the first hypothesis has pointed in that direction.
News in development.
