VietNamNet Bridge - A flight from Cam Ranh Airport in Khanh Hoa province to Hong Kong on May 2 was delayed for four hours. Chinese travellers shouted and angrily and accused airport staff of assaulting and asking for money. The airport authorities are investigating the allegations.

Nguyen Quoc Tram, director of Khanh Hoa Department of Foreign Affairs, said Khanh Hoa authorities met with related agencies to verify the information posted on a Chinese website that Chinese tourists were bothered, and even beaten and asked for money at Cam Ranh Airport.

According to Tram, of the six international flights departing from the Cam Ranh airport on the evening of May 2, the flight VN 462 to Hong Kong at 5.55pm could not take off because of air traffic jam in Hong Kong. The authorities of Cam Ranh Airport reported the incident to passengers.

At 7.40pm, the flight was delayed again because of the similar reason. Some passengers began getting angry.

Tram admitted that the international terminal of Cam Ranh airport can accommodate 600 people, but on May 2 evening the number of tourists was nearly 1,000 people, resulted in overloading. Passengers queued in a very long line and had to wait for a long time to fulfill procedures, with many people tired and angry.

"A tourist was uncooperative with staff while fulfilling procedures at the border gate, making a mess in this area. Security staff had to stop all activities for six minutes," Tram said.

At the same time, in the area of luggage screening, the security staff discovered an item that is banned from taking to aircraft in the bag of a Chinese passenger. They asked the passenger to take it out.

"This passenger said that the airport staff raised difficulty for him. He shouted and incited the crowd so the security forces had to intervene. When the flight to Hong Kong took off, the order was restored," he said.

The flight VN462 departed at 9.40pm, with all passengers on the plane returning home safely.

Regarding the information on some Chinese websites, Tram said the airport authorities were investigating.

The Chinese Consulate General in HCM City said it had received reports from some Chinese citizens related to the incident at the Cam Ranh airport on the evening of May 2. The Consulate said they will immediately work with the local government to "protect the lawful rights"of its citizens, and collect relevant evidence.

Le Ha