An 11-year-old girl died after falling ill on a flight from Istanbul to New York on Sunday, with a doctor onboard and first responders in Budapest — where the plane made an emergency stop — unable to save the child, airline officials said.
The child, who has not yet been identified, became ill as the Turkish Airlines flight was headed to the U.S., the airline said in a statement.
“Our cabin crew made the announcement on the PA system for any doctors on board while the captain of the flight immediately diverted to Budapest,” the airline said.
A doctor who was among the passengers on the plane attended to the girl as the flight’s crew prepared to make an emergency landing at Budapest’s Ferenc Liszt International Airport.
Once the plane landed, emergency medical teams boarded the aircraft to treat the girl, Turkish Airlines said.
A spokesperson for the airport said staff with the facility’s medical service responded and worked to resuscitate the child. “Despite the rapid and professional intervention, unfortunately, her life could not be saved,” they said.
Members of the child’s family disembarked the plane in Budapest, while the flight continued its planned route several hours after making the emergency landing. The flight landed in New York with a four-and-a-half-hour delay, the airline said.
It was not clear which country the child was a citizen of. Turkish Airlines said it was unable to provide that information due to privacy laws. The Budapest airport referred NBC News to the airline.
“We offer our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones and share their pain,” Turkish Airlines said.