"Shocking, Nearly a Heart Attack"...Venomous Snake Found on Passenger Jet Carrying 345 Passengers

Discovered by Cleaning Staff After Landing, Snake Hides Inside Aircraft

Possibly a Venomous "Mock Viper"; Exact Species Remains Unidentified

In the UK, a snake believed to be venomous was discovered on board an aircraft, causing the plane to remain grounded for several days. However, it has been reported that there were no injuries or safety incidents as a result of this event.

Snake found on board. Screenshot from SNS

According to local media outlets, including the British daily The Sun, a snake was found on a TUI Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner that had departed from Cancun, Mexico, and arrived at London Gatwick Airport in the UK on the 5th (local time). There were 345 passengers on board at the time, but it is reported that no one noticed the presence of the snake during the flight.

The snake in question was discovered by a staff member cleaning the cabin after the aircraft had landed. The reddish-brown snake immediately hid inside the plane upon being found, and although airport officials managed to take a photo of it, they failed to capture it.

The exact species of the snake has yet to be identified. Initially, it was suspected to be a "Mock Viper," a mildly venomous snake native to Central and South America. However, some experts later suggested that it could be a "Salmon-bellied Racer," a non-venomous species.

The airline immediately took the aircraft out of service due to safety concerns. Since then, engineers and animal specialists have been searching the interior of the plane, but as of several days after the incident, the snake has still not been found.

Foreign news outlets have pointed out the possibility that the snake was secretly brought on board from Cancun by a passenger. There were also concerns that, had passengers discovered the snake during the flight, it could have caused chaos in the cabin.

TUI stated that it is responding in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidelines, and described the search for the snake as "like looking for a needle in a haystack." One official commented, "The airline cleaning staff who saw the snake nearly had a heart attack," and added, "This passenger plane will never be allowed to take off again."

Meanwhile, British media have drawn strong parallels between this incident and the 2006 film "Snakes on a Plane." The film depicts a mysterious criminal organization releasing hundreds of venomous snakes on a passenger jet in an attempt to eliminate a witness.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.