SANTIAGO (REUTERS) - A plane traveling between Santiago and the southern Chilean city of Punta Arenas had to return to the capital and make an emergency landing on Thursday afternoon after a bomb threat, authorities said.

A Brazilian woman on board the LATAM Airlines flight had told one of the flight attendants there was a bomb on the plane around 20 minutes into the flight, said airport manager Juan Luis Rodriguez.

After returning to Santiago, the passengers were escorted off the plane, he said, and the woman was arrested. Authorities are searching the plane, he added.

LATAM Airlines said it could not comment under aviation protocols.