KUALA LUMPUR: A passenger of Asiana Airlines caused panic among the crew and fellow passengers when he opened the emergency door of the airplane as its was preparing to land at Daegu International Airport in South Korea.
Despite no injuries or damages reported, several passengers were taken to the hospital after they suffered breathing difficulties, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.
The flight had 194 passengers, including 48 elementary- and middle-school athletes who were scheduled to compete in a sports event tomorrow in Ulsan.
The 33-year-old man was detained upon landing at the airport.
The news agency reported that when the suspect tried to pull the lever of the exit door, flight attendants were not able to stop him because the plane was about to land.
The man was not drunk at the time of detention but remained tight-lipped about why he did so.
A passenger described the incident as chaos, especially among those who were sitting close to the door.
"I thought the plane was blowing up. I thought I was going to die ," said the passenger according to the news report.