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More than 250 Virgin Atlantic passengers, including many Indians, finally landed in Mumbai late on Friday evening, according to a Hindustan Times report. They had been stranded for over 40 hours in Turkey after their flight was diverted due to a medical emergency.

The flight had taken off from London's Heathrow Airport on Wednesday morning and was heading to Mumbai. However, it had to make an emergency landing at Diyarbakir Airport in Turkey. The airport is a military base, and due to the nature of the landing, the aircraft had to go through detailed technical checks.

Photo Credit: PTI

Virgin Atlantic said the aircraft could not continue its journey until it was fully inspected and cleared. "The safety and security of our customers and crew remains our highest priority, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused and prolonged delay," a spokesperson said on Friday.

Ripal Patel, a London resident who was on board the flight, shared his experience. He was travelling to Mumbai to meet his mother. "I am happy to be back home after spending uncertain moments in Turkey," he said.

Mr Patel said that the passengers were taken to a dark lounge at the military airport. "At first, more than 250 of us had to share one toilet. We got our first meal only after 10 hours - a cheese chilly sandwich. One lady, who had a gluten allergy, became unwell," he said.

Passengers protested on Thursday and spoke to officials. Later, hotel accommodation was finally arranged.

The flight took off again on Friday after it was confirmed safe to fly. It had originally been scheduled to land in Mumbai at 1:40am on Thursday, but due to the delay, it reached more than a day later.