U.S.-bound plane makes unexpected stopover for security check

BERLIN, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- A German passenger plane made a stopover in Iceland Saturday for an unscheduled security check when a passenger was found missing from the plane after checking in his luggage.

The Lufthansa flight with some 200 passengers on board heading to Detroit stopped at Iceland's Keflavik International Airport where an explosive disposal team took the luggage away.

"Nothing suspicious was found in the luggage. It seems the passenger for some reasons didn't board the plane after he checked in," said a spokesman of the airport.

The flight continued its U.S.-bound journey after the stopover of about two hours in Iceland.

A Nigerian national attempted to set off an explosion device on a flight heading to Detroit Friday. The device failed to explode, causing only minor injuries to the suspect himself and two other passengers.

Airports in the United States, Britain, Finland, Italy and other countries have tightened their security on flights bound for the United States.

A Lufthansa airline spokesman said the U.S. authorities had been informed of the incident, describing the incident as an "unfortunate coincidence."