Reports Suggest EgyptAir Hostage Could Be Irish

The latest reports suggest that one of the hostages on hijacked EgyptAir flight MS 181 may be an Irish citizen.  According to German newspaper Bild and Cyprus News, there is one Irish person, one Italian and three Americans on board the Airbus A320, which remains on the tarmac at Larnaca as negotiations with a hijacker wearing a suicide vest continue. The Department of Foreign Affairs has not yet confirmed the identity of the passenger but the consular services team are said to be 'looking into the matter urgently' to find out whether any Irish citizens are involved.

Anyone with concerns about Irish citizens due to fly from #Alexandria to #Cairo can contact us on 01 408 2000. #Egypt #Cyprus

— DFATravel (@dfatravel) March 29, 2016

Meanwhile, the hijacker, an Egyptian national identified on local television as professor of veterinary medicine Seif El Din Mustafa, demanded that a letter be delivered to his wife in Larnaca. It is understood that she is now at the airport to participate in the negotiations. Cyprus state broadcaster is reporting that the hijacker is demanding the release of a number of female Egyptian prisoners. A flight due to leave Cairo Airport for New York this morning has been cancelled due to security fears. Main image: Airlive