A plane carrying Pope Francis was struck by a laser over Mexico City as it was landing in the country where the Pontiff has spent the last five days after a visit to Cuba.
Alitalia airlines was operating the charter plane and said in a statement that cockpit crew members noticed a laser coming from the ground as they were flying towards Mexico City. The captain reported the incident to the control tower, and it is standard procedure for them to report the occurrence to the local authorities. No one was injured and the plane landed safely.
However, there was no answer as to whether the flight carrying the Pope was targeted, reports CNN.
There have been increased reports of laser strikes on planes, which can temporarily impair the vision of a pilot or cause more serious eye injuries. On Sunday, a New York-bound plane was forced to turn back to Heathrow after it was struck with a laser and the co-pilot reported feeling unwell.
Read more: Pilots urge lasers crackdown after Virgin Atlantic plane forced to turn back