Flight passengers pass out and soil themselves in 43C heat amid baking heat dome
Delta Airline passengers passed out and soiled themselves in 43C heat while waiting to take off as a sweltering heat dome bakes the US.
Travellers on board a flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta at Harry Reid International Airport had to be revived with oxygen by flight attendants as passengers fell ill due to the extreme heat.
Passengers were forced to wait on the runway with no air conditioning for three hours while several flights took off. At least five were taken off the flight due to the heat on the aircraft.
Krista Garvin, a Fox News field producer, was on the plane when she said a decision was made to take everyone off due to the volume of people being sick, as staff tried to cool the plane down.
Paramedics were called to the airport to attend to the passengers, as she later revealed crew had also fallen ill from the stifling temperatures.
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Ambulances were called to a plane which was due to fly to Atlanta (Kristaanngarvin/Twitter)
Airport staff were called to take some of the ill passengers off (Fox News / Josh Stinson)She documented her experience on Twitter, writing: "What an INSANE experience. First we were delayed because you did not have a flight attendant.
"Then we finally board and sit for almost 3 hours on a hot plane in 111F (43C) degree weather.
"Now we are heading back to the gate cause people are passing out. We are now being told you can get off but there isn’t another flight out to ATL for days.
"This is actually nuts. Paramedics are on now. I’ve seen a total of three people wheeled out so far. Oxygen tanks are being pulled out.
"They said to press your call button if you need medical assistance. Babies are screaming, crying. They’re handing out sandwiches to the diabetics. I am just shook."
According to the National Weather Service, the temperature at the airport fluctuated between 43C and 46C on Monday.
Delta confirmed it would be investigating the circumstances in which passengers had to be taken off the aircraft.
A spokesperson said: "We apologise for the experience our customers had on flight 555 from Las Vegas to Atlanta on July 17, which ultimately resulted in a flight cancellation.
"Delta teams are looking into the circumstances that led to uncomfortable temperatures inside the cabin and we appreciate the efforts of our people and first responders at Harry Reid International."
Delta said they are looking into the incident (AP)The sweltering conditions look set to continue as the city of Phoenix is set to break a new record for the 19th straight day as temperatures hit 43C.
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Temperatures were hitting 37.8C before 9am for the sixth straight day on Tuesday, as NOAA Climate Analysis Chief, Russell Vose, admitted it's the longest streak they have ever seen.
He revealed: "It's the longest streak that we´ve ever seen in this country. When you have several million people subjected to that sort of thermal abuse, there are impacts."
The conditions have also made it unbearable at night with temperatures dropping to 34.4C on Tuesday, which is the ninth straight day of conditions not falling below 32.2C.
National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Salerno said: "It's pretty miserable when you don't have any recovery overnight".
On Monday, the US announced it had recorded its first death as a result of the heat dome after Victor Ramos died on June 24 in Texas Harris County.
The 67-year-old died as a result of accidental hyperthermia after his family claimed he couldn't afford to fix his air conditioning.
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