Turkish Airlines says girl, 11, died after losing consciousness on flight from Istanbul to New York
An 11-year-old girl died after losing consciousness on a Turkish Airlines flight headed from Istanbul to New York on Sunday, the airline told CBS News in a statement. Flight TK003 made an emergency landing in Budapest, Hungary, as a doctor on the plane reportedly tried to assist the girl.
"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," Turkish Airlines said in a statement provided to CBS News on Monday. "As a doctor among our passengers attended the situation and performed heart massage, our cockpit crew made an emergency landing in Budapest."
The airline said emergency medical personnel boarded its Airbus A330-300 in Budapest, "but despite all efforts, [the] passenger couldn't be saved."
The airline offered "heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones" and said the girl's family got off the plane in Budapest, allowing the flight to continue and arrive in New York about 4 and a half hours behind schedule.
Neither the airline nor Turkish or Hungarian authorities released any information on the child's nationality or the suspected cause of her death.
CBS News' Pinar Sevinclidir in Istanbul contributed to this report.
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Tucker Reals is the CBSNews.com foreign editor, based at the CBS News London bureau.