Watch: Qatar Airways Passengers Stuck For Over 3 Hours On Runway With No Air-Conditioning

In a harrowing ordeal, dozens of passengers endured extreme conditions for over three hours after a technical issue caused the air-conditioning to fail on a Qatar Airways plane in Greece. Passengers resorted to using wet wipes and fanning themselves while seated. Reportedly, some were forced to strip off their clothes, and others passed out due to the intense heat.

The passengers, including dozens of athletes taking part in the IFMA World Muaythai Championships, struggled to keep cool aboard the Qatar Airways flight with closed doors and no air-conditioning. The flight, which was bound for the Qatari capital of Doha, was held on the runway in Athens for hours ahead of take-off, leaving the passengers in the sweltering heat.

Several videos from inside the flight have surfaced on the internet, showing the passengers struggling to cool themselves. South African sports therapist Garth Collins took to social media and dropped footage of the distressing incident. “Passengers were literally dehydrating and passing out on the plane,” he recalled further, sharing that they were offered a cup of water and a small soft drink, which was completely insufficient to rehydrate them, as quoted by the Daily Mail.

He also showed a clip of fighter Damian Collins, showing him sweating profusely. “Damian is a fit, conditioned athlete; imagine the stress and danger for any normal individual,” he said.

After hours of waiting, the passengers were allowed to return to the terminal building of the Athens International Airport. However, their suffering was still far from over; they had to sit in a queue with no communication from the company regarding the situation. “Qatar Airways is handling the situation with flight QR204 from Athens to Doha terribly. Passengers were left stranded on the plane for 3.5 hours with doors closed and no air conditioning. Passengers were literally dehydrating and passing out on the plane,” Collins said.

Earlier this month, a similar incident was reported on a Mavi Gok Airlines flight where around 200 German tourists were stuck on board with temperatures soaring above 50 degrees Celsius at the Antalya Airport, Turkey. The plane reportedly stood on the hot runway for almost an hour.