Canadian passengers aboard a chaotic Fly Jamaica flight that crash landed in Guyana last week are thankful to be home, but many are upset about what happened in the following days.
Passengers who landed in Toronto on Friday morning said they were missing property including jewelry, cash, tablets, and pieces of luggage. According to Guyanese media, eight firefighters were arrested for allegedly stealing items from passengers and crew members.
“They stole everything from me. My wedding band, they stole my tablet, my grandson’s phone, my phone, my gold and diamond chain. They stole my underwear,” alleged one woman who spoke with CTV Toronto at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Flight OJ256 was carrying 128 passengers, including 82 Canadian citizens, when it experienced hydraulic problems shortly after takeoff from Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Guyana. When the plane returned for an emergency landing, the aircraft overshot the runway and crashed into a fence.
Six people suffered minor injuries, including a Canadian man who arrived in Toronto with a neck brace.
“There was an object from overhead that flew into my head and my neck,” he explained, adding that he had a piece of luggage containing cash, jewelry and seven bottles of liquor stolen.
Passengers recounted the dramatic incident, describing how smoke filled the cabin after the landed and pieces of the plane appeared to break apart.
“There was screaming,” one woman said.
Many expressed gratitude for being home.
“I am so happy I’m on Canadian soil. I’m safe, and I’m happy to go home,” a female passenger said.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is conducting an investigation into the crash, according to Guyanese officials.
With a report from CTV Toronto’s Brandon Rowe
