Passengers 'screaming' as holiday jet comes off runway at Leeds Bradford Airport as Storm Babet batters Britain

20 October 2023, 15:15 | Updated: 20 October 2023, 17:20

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A passenger plane has skidded off a runway at Leeds Bradford Airport as Storm Babet continues to batter Britain.

Passengers could be heard screaming as the TUI flight from Corfu overran on the runway at the airport.

Garry Stockdill, whose brother Keith is on the plane, said everyone was ok just "very shaken up".

"They were landing at Leeds-Bradford Airport and they overshot the runway. The plane is now on the grass," he told the Telegraph and Argus.

"They are all OK. Just very shaken up. People were screaming. Fire service are trying to find a way to get them off the plane."

A spokesperson for Leeds Bradford Airport said: “We can confirm TUI flight TOM3551 arriving from Corfu at LBA this afternoon has moved off the runway whilst landing.

"We are working with the airline, relevant operations teams, and emergency authorities to address this situation and remove passengers from the aircraft safely.”

A TUI spokesman said: "We are aware of an incident at Leeds Bradford Airport this afternoon, in which upon landing flight TOM3551 slightly veered off while turning into the taxiway.

"There are no reported injuries, and our ground team are on hand to support passengers as they disembark."

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said in a statement: “We are in attendance at an incident at Aircraft Ground Incident at Leeds Bradford Airport, in conjunction with other emergency services.

"At this time, there are no reported injuries or fires.

"West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service command unit has now been stood down.”

Read more: Moment plane flying into Aberdeen airport has to pull out of landing at last minute because of Storm Babet

Read more: Body of woman found after being swept into river amid Storm Babet red weather warning

It comes as large parts of the UK have been hit by transport disruption due to the heavy rain and strong winds.

Several major roads have been closed, rail lines blocked and flights grounded by the severe weather.

Sections of several A roads in Scotland were closed on Friday morning, with some reopening later in the day.

Traffic Scotland said those affected include the A9 Jubilee Bridge near Dunkeld, Perthshire, the A85 at Huntingtower near Perth and the A90 from Forfar, Angus to Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire.

Drivers were being advised to take care when crossing several bridges, including the A898 Erskine Bridge, West Dunbartonshire; the M90 Queensferry Crossing between Edinburgh and Fife; and the A87 Skye Bridge.

Flooding also forced the closure of parts of other A roads, such as the A46 in Leicestershire, the A52 in Derbyshire and the A47 in Norfolk.

The A1 was also expected to be closed in both directions at Balderton, Nottinghamshire.

The extreme conditions meant all railway lines running through Swindon were blocked, as well as several routes across northern England, the Midlands and North Wales.

No trains are running between Derby and Sheffield or Nottingham; between Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley; between Shrewsbury and Hereford/Wolverhampton; between Hereford and Birmingham New Street; between Chester and Crewe; or between Wrexham Central and Bidston.

ScotRail said train services remain suspended on several routes in north and north-east Scotland. It warned that disruption to services could last until Sunday.

Meanwhile, Suffolk has declared a major incident due to the major flooding.

In an update on its website, Suffolk County Council urged residents not to travel unless "absolutely necessary".

Jon Lacey, chief fire officer for the county, said: "The continuous heavy rainfall across Suffolk is causing severe flooding in several locations but is also making driving conditions more dangerous for everyone.

"We are therefore asking people to travel only where it is absolutely essential - for example collecting a child from school, accessing medical treatment or returning home from work.

Suffolk floods

"Reducing non-essential travel means more people stay safe and pressure on the emergency services is reduced.

"Although the Suffolk Resilience Forum will continue to do all it can to help protect our county, everyone needs to take precautions to ensure they do not put themselves in danger.

"We are responding whilst monitoring the situation closely and while the rain is forecast to ease over the weekend, we must all take action to ensure lives are protected."

Suffolk floods

A second person was confirmed dead in Storm Babet earlier on Friday after a van was hit by a falling tree in Angus in Scotland.

Emergency services attended just after 5pm on Thursday after reports of the tree falling on the van.

The 56-year-old driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Around 5.05pm on Thursday, 19 October, 2023, police received a report of a one-vehicle crash in which a tree struck a van on the B9127 at Whigstreet near Forfar.

"Emergency services attended, however, the 56-year-old driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

"Next of kin have been informed and a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.

"The road remains closed."

It comes as the Met Office has issued a fresh red weather warning for Saturday as the extreme conditions continue into the weekend.

Bridge in Scotland swamped amid flooding from Storm Babet

The body of a woman was also recovered from a river in the same area on Thursday.

The 57-year-old woman fell into the river but police said "there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death".

The Met Office warned that there was a "danger to life" due to fast flowing and deep floodwater, with other essential services expected to have been cut off.

"Prolonged and very heavy rain is expected to develop across parts of Angus and Aberdeenshire area throughout Saturday, in areas already affected by severe flooding," the forecaster said.

"Accumulations of 70-100mm are expected over a period of 18-24 hours, the highest accumulations over the hills.

"Less rainfall is expected around coastal areas, but impacts from the higher rainfall further west will extend towards the coast."

Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf warned the further red warning would "intensify" the disruption caused by torrential rain from Storm Babet.

Yousaf said the Scottish Government would continue to liaise with local organisations and the emergency services.

"People's safety is our number one priority," he stressed.

Main Road into Clova in Scotland flooded amid Storm Babet

Angus councillor Gavin Nicol said the flooding in Brechin was far worse than previous times.

"The water is sitting at windowsill-height currently - with floods in the past we've just been ankle-deep in water, if that," he said.

He said since around 6am rescue teams, including the police, coastguard and fire service, have been helping people from their flooded homes by boat.

They are also rescuing upstairs residents who are stuck with no power and in some cases no working toilets.

He added: "There's one or two cars floating about. These houses will not be habitable in the near future. It's not just water - there's sewage as well."

More than 75 people are now in rescue centres in Angus, east Scotland, after being forced to leave their flooded homes.

Angus Council said people in more than 60 homes in Brechin, who refused previous evacuation attempts, required rescue.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) confirmed they had attended about 70 weather related incidents since Thursday morning and received about 750 emergency 999 calls, which a spokesperson confirmed was an "unusually high" number of calls.

Officers are also searching for another man who has been trapped in a vehicle in floodwater since the early hours of Friday.

A helicopter has been sent out in the search across Aberdeenshire.

Police said: “Around 3am on Friday, 20 October, 2023, police received a report of a man within a vehicle trapped in floodwater near Marykirk.

"Multi-agency searches are ongoing and the public are asked to avoid the area for their safety.”