New York (dpa) - An American Airlines flight from Britain to the US was diverted to Ireland on Monday after crew members fell unconscious due to a cleaning liquid spillage.
Flight AA729 to Philadelphia departed from London Heathrow at 1114 GMT, then turned around after passing the south-west of Ireland to land in Dublin, route tracker Flightradar24 shows.
Several passengers had "burning eyes" and "skin problems," while two crew members were left unconscious from the chemical fumes, a crew member told air traffic control in a call obtained by Airport Webcams.
In the call, the crew member asks for "immediate assistance" by paramedics on landing in Dublin, telling controllers that "at least a dozen" people had been affected by the substance.
He explains that a leaking container of "ammonium-based cleaning product" had been left in the lavatory.
Passenger Katie Phillips wrote on Twitter: "Ok, so this hasn't quite gone to plan. Chemical spillage has led to sickness outbreak and an emergency landing in Dublin."
A statement from American Airlines said the plane "landed safely in Dublin" and that "medical personnel have met the aircraft to evaluate any crew members or passengers who may need additional assistance."
Two crew members and five passengers were taken to hospital for evaluation, the airline added in a later statement.
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