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AN investigation has been launched after an employee was injured in a freak accident at Bournemouth airport on Thursday.

Passengers on board a Thomson flight to Palma watched in horror as an emergency chute suddenly inflated, knocking a Servisair baggage handler off steps at the side of the Boeing 737.

A Thomson spokeswoman said the plane, already delayed for nearly three hours due to poor visibility, had taxied out onto the runway.

As crew prepared for take-off a decision was taken to postpone the flight further because of poor visibility.

The spokeswoman added: "It taxied back again and steps were put to the side of the aircraft. The door was opened and the emergency chute deployed accidentally."

The alarm was raised at 9.53am.

A passenger on board the Thom 2183 flight told the Daily Echo: "We saw someone opening the door and the safety chute hitting a man on the steps outside.

"As they tended to him we were taken off the plane and back to the terminal. The plane was full."

The injured man was taken by ambulance to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital. His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

The flight to Palma eventually took off seven hours late at 2pm. Two flights were cancelled and another two delayed by more than an hour.

Other passengers held up at the fog-bound airport complained that they had not been kept informed about flight changes.

Teacher Margaret Nazarin from Bournemouth said: "I was planning to go to Dublin.

"Our plane was diverted to Southampton. We were told our options were getting our money back, flying on Saturday or going to Shannon instead.

"Dublin is a three-and-a half hour trip away but no travel arrangements are being provided at the other side and we're going to have to pick up the bill.

"There was only one person on the information desk and the customer service was very poor."

Margaret Vye from Parkstone arrived at the airport at 7.30am in the hope of catching the 9.30am Dublin flight.

"We were hoping to fly to Dublin; now we're going to Shannon instead," she said. "When a train is cancelled buses are laid on. But we weren't offered transport to Southampton where our plane had been diverted to."

Liz Eley from Hereford had travelled to Bournemouth to fly to Dublin with her friend, who lives near the airport.

She said: "Our flights cost just 1p each way, plus taxes. They weren't such a good bargain after all because now we're going to have to pay for car hire from Shannon to Dublin."

But Cecil Davis from Ballyclare, Northern Ireland, was more upbeat after being told the Dublin flight had been cancelled.

He said: "We've been staying with our daughter in Bournemouth and the cancelled flight just means we'll be seeing her again sooner than we'd thought. Staying another two days isn't a problem."

Bournemouth airport spokeswoman Sally Windsor said: "The incident resulting in a baggage handler being injured is being thoroughly investigated.

"The service desk staff were giving information to passengers as soon as they got it from the airlines involved.

"When you have two cancellations and up to 150 people to deal with it is a lot to manage."