NZ tourist killed by jet engine blast

A New Zealand tourist has been killed by the blast from a jetliner taking off at a seaside airport in the Caribbean.

The 57-year-old was knocked into a wall near the runway of Princess Juliana International Airport on Sint Maarten on Wednesday.

Emergency services were told several people had been holding on to the fence when the jet took off.

Paramedics took the woman to the Sint Maarten Medical Centre, where she died of her injuries.

A police spokesman said hundreds of tourists regularly ignored warning signs not to stand by the fence, which is close to the beach.

"Many people come just for the thrill of this main attraction and unfortunately this time someone lost their life," he said.

He said dozens had been injured in recent years by jet blasts but this was the first time someone had died.