A bomb hoax has forced the emergency landing of an Air France passenger plane in Kenya.
The Boeing-777 had been on its way from Mauritius to Paris, but all 473 people on board were evacuated after reports of an explosive device in the toilet.
It is the fourth Air France flight to be diverted in four weeks as France remains on high alert in the face of recent deadly attacks.
A passenger plane carrying 459 passengers and 14 crew members has been grounded after what at first appeared to be a bomb was found in the toilet.
Flight 463 was en route to Paris from the island of Mauritius, but was forced to land in Mombasa, Kenya's second-largest city.
Passengers spoke of how it all unfolded in the air.
"The plane just went down, slowly, slowly, slowly, so we just realised probably something was wrong, but the personnel of Air France were just great, just wonderful, so they kept everybody calm and really quiet. We didn't know what was happening actually. And so we secured our seat-belts, and we (Air France) said we had to land in Mombasa because we had a technical problem. But, actually, it was not a technical problem. It was probably something in the toilet. It was like something wrong in the toilet, like a ... It could be like a bomb, something like this."
Others say it was an extremely stressful experience.
"We didn't know. On the plane, they told us it was a problem, a technical problem, you know. So, for one hour, we've been coming to Kenya. So now they say that they found a bomb, and so very tired, very difficult."
All on board were evacuated in Mombasa as Kenyan authorities inspected the suspicious item.
Air France chief executive Frederic Gagey then confirmed to waiting media and the passengers it was, in fact, a hoax.
(Translated)"Everything indicates at this stage that this device was not capable of creating an explosion or damaging an airplane but it was, rather, a cardboard device with a timer, so it was, indeed, a false alarm."
Passengers were reassured they would be on their way home within hours.
But several continued to be questioned by police as an investigation began.
Kenyan Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery says the investigation will help ensure all terrorism is quashed, in whatever form it appears.
"The action we are taking is a universal action. You realise, terrorism is a global war, which we are all fighting. And I want to assure you that France and Kenya are partnering in this. We have international partners. We make sure that air travellers are secure."
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