The Iraqi government has issued an investigation into how a bear escaped from its container in the cargo holding area of an Iraqi Airways aircraft.
Video footage circulated of an escaped bear loose in the cargo hold of an Iraqi Airways plane that had landed at the Dubai International Airport on Friday, according to The National, a newspaper based in the United Arab Emirates. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani has ordered an investigation surrounding the incident, according to the Associated Press.
“The company apologises to the passengers of the flight from Baghdad International Airport to Dubai Airport for reasons beyond the control of the company,” the airline wrote in a statement on its website, according to The National.
Bear breaks out from a container in the cargo hold of an Iraqi Airways flight from Baghdad to Dubai – https://t.co/5KJeGp3orA pic.twitter.com/HicKz2An0H
— Iraqi News (@IraqiNews_com) August 5, 2023
The airline confirmed that the delay in deboarding the aircraft was due to the loose bear, adding that upon the aircraft’s arrival, the bear had escaped its “crate specified for its shipment,” according to the statement. (RELATED: Bear Tries To Escape California Heat By Taking A Dip In A Pool)
“The plane crew co-ordinated with UAE’s authority who sent a specialised team to sedate the animal and take it off the plane,” the airline said in the statement.
The airline confirmed in its statement that it checked the plane to ensure that no damage was done to the aircraft before it flew back to Baghdad, Iraq.
The Daily Caller reached out to Iraqi Airways for a statement but did not receive a response back.