'Religious fanatic' hijacks Mexican plane

Over 100 people have been freed by police after the plane in which they were travelling was hijacked in Mexico.

The jet had been flying between the eastern city of Cancun and the capital Mexico City when it was seized.

Reports suggest 40-year-old Jose Flores Pereira, a Bolivian national, had threatened to blow up the plane unless he was able to speak to the Mexican president Felipe Calderon.

Police stormed the plane upon its landing, with a number of suspects detained. Although Mexican officials later confirmed there had been only one hijacker.

Mr Flores, when presented to journalists, said he had used a can of juice to look like a bomb when he attempted the hijacking.

He said he had acted on Wednesday, as the date, September 9th 2009, represented the number 9/9/9/ - the inverse of 6/6/6 the 'number of the beast'.

Public safety secretary Genaro Garcia Luna said Mr Flores had had a 'revelation that Mexico was facing a great danger and was threatened by an earthquake'.

A total of 112 people were onboard the AeroMexico Flight 576 including Mexicans, Americans and French.

Mexican officials claim no-one was hurt during the incident.