Two men were forcibly restrained and zip-tied on a Qatar Airways flight from Melbourne to Doha on Friday, after they allegedly assaulted flight attendants and made threats about a gun. The incident occurred on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.
Altercation on Flight VA7
The incident took place on flight VA7, operated by Qatar Airways, en route from Melbourne, Australia, to Doha. Witnesses reported that the two men spat at and headbutted flight attendants, subjected them to foul abuse, and made threats about wielding a gun.
As many as seven people reportedly helped restrain the two men, who were later bound with zip-ties during the flight. The individuals were handed over to authorities after the flight landed in Doha.
Witness Accounts and Airline Statement
Speaking to Australian outlet 3AW's Jacqueline Felgate, one witness said: “Really big props to the Qatar flight attendants, they were hands on for about 10 hours straight.” They added: “They really couldn’t do too much more.” Another passenger described the ordeal as “terrifying” and called it “disgraceful what the poor flight attendants had to deal with.”
Qatar Airways stated: “We can confirm that two male passengers were involved in a physical altercation on board flight VA7 from Melbourne to Doha, operated by Qatar Airways. Both passengers were restrained and, upon arrival in Doha, were handed over to local authorities.”
Context of 9/11 Anniversary
The incident comes on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attack on the World Trade Center. In total, 2,996 people are known to have lost their lives during the attack, including 19 al-Qaeda terrorists, and some 25,000 were injured as a result.
Exposure to hazardous materials at Ground Zero has been linked to more than 100 different types of cancer, leading to thousands of illnesses and deaths that have unfolded decades later. Thousands have been left with profound psychological trauma, and the political and social ramifications of 9/11 are incalculable.
According to an exclusive report from The Mirror UK, more than 9,500 people have now died from 9/11-related illnesses, with people still dying at a rate of one death every day. Hazardous particles discovered in the debris included asbestos, lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, crushed concrete, glass fibers, silica, and burning synthetic materials, and both men and women continue to have their lives shortened because of the attacks.
