A person has been found dead inside the engine of a KLM plane moments before take-off at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines said the accident involved its KL1341 flight bound for Billund.

In a statement, the airline said: “A fatal incident took place at Schiphol today during which a person ended up in a running aircraft engine. Sadly, this person has died.

“The flight concerned was KL1341 bound for Billund. We are currently taking care of the passengers and employees who witnessed the incident at Schiphol. The circumstances are currently under investigation.”

The plane was taxiing to the runway and was about to take off when it was halted after an irregularity was detected with the engine, a Dutch military police source told The Telegraph.

The deceased, who was found inside the engine, has not yet been identified by the authorities.

The aircraft was full of passengers at the time of the incident. Those on board have disembarked the plane and the authorities are hoping to interview them shortly.

Dutch authorities are investigating if the body ended up in the engine as a result of an accident or a suicide.

The Dutch Safety Board has sent three investigators to Schiphol, Dutch public broadcaster NOS reported.

Safety and security measures are strict at Schiphol and accidents are rare at the busy airport, which handled around 5.5 million passengers last month alone, according to airport figures.

Mark Harbers, the minister for Infrastructure and Water Management, said on X: “Terrible news about a fatal accident today at Schiphol. My condolences go out to the relatives of the victim and the people who witnessed the accident.”

KLM, the Netherlands’ national flag carrier, is widely considered by experts to have a good safety record. The aviation safety site Home Page - Airline Ratings rated it 18 in the top 20 safest airlines in the world.

More details to follow.