Miami

Passengers Evacuated From Mexico City-Bound Plane for ‘Security Concern': PD

Passengers were evacuated Wednesday from a Mexico City-bound plane out of Miami International Airport as police investigated a security concern related to the flight, authorities said.

American Airlines flight 257 was scheduled for an initial departure of 6:50 p.m. from Miami. Passengers said Miami-Dade police swarmed the aircraft after some travelers got a text message or AirDrop with a security scare.

Multiple people on flight 257 told NBC 6 they were forced into a quarantined section of the airport and had their phones searched by police.

Authorities deemed the threat not credible, and the Miami-Dade Aviation Department gave the "all clear" just around 9:30 p.m. Passengers, however, told NBC 6 the flight was delayed another five hours by late Wednesday night.

The flight was eventually cancelled around 2 a.m. Thursday.

Photos and video from the scene show multiple police units on the tarmac and officers and K-9 units surrounding the waiting passengers.

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