[This is a breaking news story. Audio will follow later. Thank you for your patience.] An EgyptAir plane was hijacked, or held by terrorists, Tuesday morning and forced to land in Cyprus, said Egyptian officials. The plane was set for the short flight from Alexandria to Cairo, about 180 kilometers away. It landed instead at Larnaca airport in Cyprus, about 540 kilometers northeast. The man or men who held the plane and crew, or hijackers, said they would blow the plane up, officials said. It was unclear how many passengers were aboard, or on EgyptAir flight 181. EgyptAir said that in Cyprus, the hijackers released all but four passengers and the crew. The four were described as not Egyptian. The New York Times said video showed passengers walking down the plane stairs to a bus on the tarmac at Larnaca International Airport. Cyprus public television reported that the hijacker was a 27-year-old Egyptian. He asked for political asylum, the newspaper said. EgyptAir, released information on its Twitter account. The pilot said a passenger wearing a belt of explosives forced him to land in Larnaca, Reuters reported. It was not known if other hijackers on board. In October 2015, a Russian airplane crashed after leaving Sharm el Sheikh, a beach resort on the Red Sea. All 224 onboard died. A terrorist bomb was suspected, officials said. VOA News, the New York Times and the Associated Press reported this story. Kathleen Struck adapted it for VOA Learning English. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story hijack -- n. to take, hold or seize something without permission explosives -- n. materials that create a release of energy with great force
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