A bear traveling on an Iraqi Airways flight escaped from its crate and roamed the cargo hold as the plane waited to take off in Dubai, report says

• A bear escaped from its crate in the cargo hold of an Iraqi Airways plane, per the AP.
• The flight was held up at Dubai Airport while officials sedated and removed the bear.

Iraq's prime minister has launched an investigation after a bear being transported on a commercial airplane escaped from its crate in the cargo hold.

On Friday, the Iraqi Airways plane traveling from Dubai to Baghdad was delayed on the tarmac at Dubai International Airport while specialists sedated and removed the bear from the flight, Sky News reported.

One video shared by UAE daily newspaper The National appeared to show the bear roaming free in the plane's cargo hold while staff try to deal with the issue.

Representatives for Iraqi Airways did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, made outside usual working hours.

An Iraqi Airways official told The Associated Press the bear was being transported to Iraqi's capital Baghdad, they spoke to the news outlet anonymously as they were not authorized to comment on the matter publically. The airline representative also declined to name the bear's owner.

It isn't clear what type of bear was being transported.

In a statement shared with The Sun, the airline said the delay was caused by reasons "beyond the control of the company." The company apologized to passengers affected by the delay, adding that the plane continued on to the Iraqi capital after the bear was removed.

They said: "The delay happened because of a shipment in the cargo hold. Upon arrival to Dubai Airport, the animal escaped the crate specified for its shipment."

The airline told the AP that it had worked with authorities in the United Arab Emirates to remove the bear from the plane, adding that the transport of the bear was carried out in accordance with the law. Representatives said the company was not to blame for the incident.

Representatives for Dubai Airport did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.