Watch: Revellers in Mexico point dozens of lasers at passenger aircraft
Dozens of laser beams were pointed at a passenger aircraft in a reckless act at a fireworks festival in Mexico.
The jet was flying over the annual National Pyrotechnic Festival in Tultepec when people in the crowd began to point several green laser beams towards it.
Footage captured last weekend shows the aircraft swarmed by the green rays.
Social media users condemned the behaviour of the festival-goers, with one saying: “What on earth is wrong with people??? This is SO dangerous.”
Another commented: “I wonder if they think it would be funny if they were travelling on that plane.”
People who point laser devices at transport operators in the UK face a prison sentence of up to five years.
New, tougher laws were introduced after a Virgin Atlantic flight was forced to return to Heathrow airport in 2016 when a laser was shone at the aircraft.
Commander Simon Bray, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for lasers, praised the Laser Misuse (Vehicles) Act, saying: “Recklessly shining a laser at an aircraft or another moving vehicle is deeply irresponsible and dangerous.
“By causing a distraction or, in some cases, short- or long-term eye damage, laser attacks can lead to catastrophic incidents.”
Federal crime
In the US, pointing laser beams at aircraft is a federal crime that can result in fines of up to £8,700 per violation.
Laser pointers with a power output of more than one milliwatt have been deemed prohibited weapons in Australia since 2008 after a number of aircraft flying over Sydney were focused on.
The annual National Pyrotechnic Festival in Tultepec is a celebration of the area’s role as the centre of the country’s homegrown fireworks industry.
Up to 100,000 festival-goers watch and take part in processions using huge displays of fireworks.
It is currently unclear whether the police in Mexico are investigating the video or whether the airline in question has complained to air safety officials.
