Passengers on a Delta Air Lines flight found themselves in serious danger when they were stuck on the tarmac of Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport without air conditioning in scorching 43.9C (111F) heat on Monday.
Fox News field producer Krista Garvin was on the flight, where she says she witnessed multiple passengers pass out and saw at least five people wheeled off the plane in stretchers.
After being stuck taxiing behind a dozen other aircraft, the pilot announced the flight return to the gate due to “multiple emergencies,” according to Garvin.
As the situation continued, flight attendants reportedly rushed around the plane with oxygen tanks while telling passengers to stay seated.
Garvin said that “multiple passengers passed out and some had soiled themselves” before at least five people, including one flight attendant, were taken from the plane by paramedics.
In video from the scene, the pilot can be heard saying, “This is the best cooling that’s going to occur while passengers are on the aircraft.” The clip also shows ambulances waiting on the tarmac.
Eventually, passengers were given the chance to exit, but Garvin said the airline warned: “It may take days to get another flight to Atlanta.”
The portion who stayed in the sweltering heat did not make it to Atlanta. After four hours of waiting, they were escorted off the flight, with paramedics and stretchers on hand.
The flight was rescheduled for Tuesday morning before being cancelled once more.
Delta apologised for the fiasco in a statement, telling customers: “Delta teams are looking into the circumstances that led to uncomfortable temperatures inside the cabin.”
Las Vegas reached an average of 46.1C (115F) Fahrenheit this month. CNN reports that the United States has broken 2,300 heat records since June 10. Nearly 70 million people are currently under heat alerts.