Two stowaways on US-bound flight from Ecuador die after falling from aircraft

Incident closes Jose Joaquin de Olmedo airport in Guayaquil for 90 minutes

Jose Joaquin de Olmedo airport in Guayaquil (José Porras)

Two men thought to have been stowaways on a US-bound flight from Ecuador have died after they fell from the aircraft, it has been reported.

The Jose Joaquin de Olmedo airport in Guayaquil was closed for an hour and a half as their bodies were removed from the runway.

Employees at the airport noticed three objects falling from the plane and officials believe the pair either fainted or were ejected.

“As we approached, we saw two people – one on the runway and the other in the grass area”, local prosecutor Carlos Bustamante told El Comercio newspaper. “The first one had a pulse, but died minutes later. The other person had died.”

“What is known is that the plane came from Peru. From the characteristics of the citizens, they may come from Peru, and from here they would go to the United States, to New York”, he added.

The third item that was spotted falling from the plane was a suitcase which contained clothes and approximately $20 (£14).

The Boeing 767-300, operated by Latam, returned to the airport soon after takeoff before continuing its journey.

Authorities have not ruled out the possibility that other people may have managed to remain smuggled on board, Sky News reported.