REPORTS: Women and Children ‘Leaving Hijacked EgyptAir Plane’

A number of women and children are reportedly being allowed to leave a hijacked plane that has landed at Larnaca airport.  The latest reports confirm a man wearing a suicide belt is threatening to detonate it on board the Airbus A320, which left Burj El Arab airport in the northern Egyptian city of Alexandria this morning heading for the capital Cairo but redirected, landing in Cyprus at 8.50am local time.

Our flight MS181 is officially hijacked. we'll publish an official statement now. #Egyptair

— EGYPTAIR (@EGYPTAIR) March 29, 2016

Minutes ago, the Egyptian Civil Aviation Ministry confirmed the hijacker informed the Pilot Omar El-Gamal of flight MS 181 he was wearing an explosive belt. Police have been ordered to leave the area so some of 82 the passengers on board flight can disembark. Authorities say negotiations are continuing on the ground.