9 Israelis arrested after graphic plane crash photos were sent to passengers aboard a flight to Turkey

Nine Israeli citizens were arrested Tuesday at Tel Aviv's Ben Guiron airport on suspicion of making a terrorist threat after passengers aboard a flight to Turkey received graphic photos of plane crashes on their phones shortly before takeoff.

The Israel Airports Authority said in a statement that the nine are suspected of broadcasting images of an air disaster on the plane, causing panic and delaying the plane's departure by several hours.

One woman fainted, another had a panic attack, and the flight resumed after a security search, according to the Jersalem Post.

Scenes from the crash of Asiana Airlines flight 214 were among the photos reported by The Times of Israel. Three people were killed in a passenger flight crash in South Korea.

According to the Jersalem Post, the suspects may be prosecuted for false information. The maximum sentence for the offense is three years in prison.

The Ben Gurion International Airport did not reply immediately.