Escaped Hamster Interrupts Austrian Flight

It wasn't quite 'Snakes on a Plane', but an Austrian Airlines jet had to make an unscheduled stop after a passenger sneaked a hamster aboard and the rodent escaped.

The flight from Spain to the southern Austrian city of Graz made a stop in Innsbruck so officials could search for the hamster and make sure it didn't chew through any wiring.

The flight was diverted after the passenger notified crew that he had brought a hamster aboard and lost track of it. Passengers were ordered off the plane, while crew searched.

Hours later, a search of the aircraft still had not turned up any sign of the hamster.

Austrian Airlines says the jet will remain grounded until the hamster was found "because it can't take off that way for safety reasons".

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