Bits and Bites > Air India passenger stung by scorpion

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Woman stung by scorpion aboard Air India flight

By Simon Druker

A woman on an Air India Airbus A-319 (similar to the one pictured) was stung by a scorpion while on a flight from the

city of Nagpur to Mumbai, the airline confirmed Saturday in a statement. Photo by Sean d'Silva/Wikimedia Commons

May 6 (UPI) -- A woman on an Air India plane was stung by a scorpion while on a flight from the city of Nagpur to Mumbai, the airline confirmed Saturday.

The flight occurred April 23, the airline said in the statement issued to the Press Trust of India, calling it an "extremely rare and unfortunate incident."

The airline said it has previously encountered cases of rats or birds onboard flights.

The woman was treated at a hospital and later released without issue.

"On landing the said passenger was attended by the doctor at the airport and subsequently was treated at the hospital and discharged. Our officials accompanied the passenger to the hospital and offered all support to the passenger till discharge," an Air India spokesperson told Asian News International.

After the flight touched down in Mumbai, officials carried out a search of the entire plane, eventually locating the scorpion. The Airbus A-319-100 was then fully fumigated according to protocol, the airline said.

The company operates a total of 16 of the single-aisle passenger jets, with an average age of 14.8 years.

Earlier this year, the airline announced a major investment to upgrade its fleet, for an order of up to 500 aircraft to be delivered over seven or eight years.

Will the upgraded fleet come without scorpions?