The passenger who tacked a suspected terrorist Northwest Airlines flight 235 said Saturday he’s “happy” to be alive.
Jasper Schuringa, a video director and producer from Amsterdam, told CNN how helped the cabin crew to subdue Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the 23-year-old who reportedly ignited a small explosive device on on board the plane Friday as it prepared to land in Detroit.
Schuringa said he heard a sound that reminded him of a firecracker and someone yelling, “Fire! Fire!”
But he was only sure something was wrong when he saw smoke. Abdulmutallab's pants were open and he was holding a burning object between his legs.
"I pulled the object from him and tried to extinguish the fire with my hands and threw it away," Schuringa said.
He said he screamed for water and pulled Abdulmutallab out of his seat and dragged him to the front of the plane.
Schuringa told CNN that Abdulmutallab seemed out of it and "was staring into nothing."
To ensure Abdulmutalla did not have other explosives on his body, Schuringa stripped off his clothes. He then handcuffed the alleged attacker with the help of a crew member.
Schuringa said the other passengers applauded as he returned to his seat.
He says that he sustained minor injuries during the take down.
"My hands are pretty burned. I am fine," he said. "I am shaken up. I am happy to be here."
Federal law enforcement and airline security sources say Abdulmutallab was immediately taken into custody following the incident and treated for second- and third-degree burns on his thighs.
CNN reports that the Nigerian suspect, a student at the University College London, is 'talking a lot' to the FBI.
The Transportation Security Administration said in a statement that the plane and its baggage were screened after the incident. Security sources told CNN that remains of the device were sent for analysis to an FBI explosives lab in Quantico, Virginia.
Law enforcement and airline security sources told CNN that no other suspicious materials were found and that the suspect only had carry-on luggage.
Passengers on board the flight were also interview by law enforcement before leaving the airport.
Abdulmutallab flew on KLM flight from Lagos, Nigeria, to Amsterdam and reportedly is not on a "no fly" list, though he is on a U.S. database of people with suspected terrorist connections.
Although there is no evidence that he is a trained member of Al Qaeda, the Nigerian national reportedly claimed linked to extremists. A federal security document obtained by CNN further revealed that his explosive device "was acquired in Yemen along with instructions as to when it should be used."
From his holiday vacation in Hawaii, President Obama told security advisers "that all appropriate measures be taken to increase security for air travel," White House spokesman Bill Burton told CNN.
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The passenger who tacked a suspected terrorist Northwest Airlines flight 235 said Saturday he’s “happy” to be alive.
