PICTURES have emerged of the moment a baggage loader burst into flames while attending an Aer Lingus flight in Florida last week.
Two baggage handlers - Alexis Salgado and Kevin Charles - who were in the vicinity of the loader at the time of the incident were engulfed in flames and taken to a nearby hospital in Orlando, Florida.
The incident happened at 5pm local time on October 6 as luggage was being loaded on the Florida to Dublin EI120 flight.
Kevin Smith, President of the Transport Workers Union told The Irish Post an investigation is currently taking place.
"The accident is still under investigation, all the leads at this point are pointing towards the equipment servicing the plane," he said.
The piece of equipment that caught fire is called a can loader. It lifts large containers of baggage and loads them into and off the plane.
"The piece of equipment has been quarantined and we're waiting for an independent investigator to find out what may have been the culprit," Mr Smith added.
"Alexis Salgado was treated and released and is doing fine. Kevin Charles is in the hospital with severe burns to most of his body, including his face, head, arms and legs."
"He is in tremendous amount of pain and has a long road of recovery ahead of him," Mr Smith added.
The Transport Workers Union has set up a GoFundMe fundraising page to ensure that the two workers will be looked after while recovering, particularly as Mr Charles' family is expecting a new arrival.
"Mr Charles' wife is expected to give birth any day now, and they're a young couple," Mr Smith said, "The TWU has set up a GoFundMe to ensure him, his newborn baby and family are taken care of."
