A 32-year-old businessman from Amsterdam was described as a ‘hero’ in various media reports on Saturday for his role in over-powering an alleged terrorist who tried to blow up a Northwest Airline jet as it landed at Detroit airport in the US on Christmas Day.

The reports say Jasper Schuringa, one of the passengers on flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, did not hesitate for a minute when he saw a Nigerian man stand up suddenly and cause an explosion which started a fire.
According to the Telegraaf website, Schuringa climbed over frightened passengers to reach the Nigerian and ‘dived’ onto him ‘in a sort of blind fury’.
Schuringa held the man in a head lock until the plane landed and police arrived, says the Telegraaf. He is believed to have burnt his hand while tackling the terrorist suspect who apparently had an explosive device strapped to his leg.
Jasper Schuringa’s parents, Bob en Ingrid Schuringa, told the Telegraaf: ‘He said that he had climbed over the seats at top speed when he saw what the guy was doing. Then he hit him, dragged him to the front of the plane and returned to put out the flames. We are extremely proud of him but also really shocked because in one second it could have ended up very differently’.
Jasper Schuringa, who has a video production company, is not expected to return to the Netherlands until January 8. According to the Telegraaf, he is spending a few days with a friend in Miami before going on to Costa Rica.
‘A lot of screaming’
Various eye witness reports of what happened on the flight have been published on the American and Dutch media.
‘I heard a lot of screaming, turned round and saw some 15 meters away a flame at least a meter high. People were standing and the crew rushed to the spot,’ passenger Theo Siep is quoted as saying on the Nos website. He said that people were trying to put out the fire with bottles of water.