Snake on a plane grounds flight in Sydney

• The 8-inch snake was found in the passenger cabin prior to boarding
• The 370 passengers on the Qantas 747 bound for Tokyo have been grounded overnight
• Quarantine officials took the snake for analysis

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A tiny snake found on a Qantas Boeing 747 airliner has led to 370 passengers being grounded in Sydney overnight.

Qantas said in a statement the 8-inch snake was found by staff in the passenger cabin near the door before passengers were due to board late Sunday at Sydney International Airport for a flight to Tokyo.

The Australian airline said the passengers were accommodated in hotels overnight and left Sydney on a replacement plane Monday morning.

The snake was taken by quarantine officials for analysis.

The Australian government on Monday did not immediately name the type of snake or say how it might have got aboard the plane which had flown to Sydney from Singapore.