More than 250 passengers — many of them Indian nationals — have been left stranded at Diyarbakir Airport in Turkey for over 30 hours after a Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Mumbai was forced to land unexpectedly due to a medical emergency on board.

Flight VS358, which took off from Heathrow Airport at 11:40 a.m. (local time) on April 2, was due to arrive in Mumbai in the early hours of April 3. However, around 7 p.m. local time, the flight made an emergency landing at Diyarbakir Airport to provide urgent medical help to a passenger.

Virgin Atlantic later confirmed that a “hard landing” had caused technical issues with the aircraft, rendering it unfit for further travel. While the airline’s crew was taken to a nearby hotel, passengers were left confined within the small regional airport — a military facility not equipped to handle such a situation.

The UK-based carrier said in a statement on Thursday that it was “exploring all options, including deploying a replacement aircraft, to get customers to Mumbai as soon as possible.”

But passengers shared distressing updates on social media, highlighting the lack of food, limited access to toilets, and no facilities to charge mobile phones due to incompatible plug points. Some mentioned the absence of airline staff for more than a full day.

"There’s one toilet for 275 passengers, barely any food, and no airline representative has checked on them in 24 hours," wrote AAP leader Preeti Sharma-Menon on X, appealing for urgent intervention. "There are infants, pregnant women, elderly passengers, and diabetics in the group."

The Indian Embassy in Ankara said it was coordinating with relevant Turkish authorities, the airport, and Virgin Atlantic. “The Embassy of India is in continuous contact with the airline, the Diyarbakir Airport Directorate, and the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” it said in a statement on X. “Through our efforts, basic support is being provided. We are actively pursuing an alternative travel arrangement for the stranded passengers.”

According to several passengers, Virgin Atlantic had initially offered to reimburse those who managed to find their own way to Istanbul — over 1,300 km away — to catch another flight to Mumbai. However, with no direct flights to India from Diyarbakir, and limited commercial options, that offer provided little practical relief.

"My relative was flying to visit her ailing father, and now she's stuck in this ordeal," posted Sanjay Shah on X. "No proper food or water. All airline staff disappeared after landing."

Another user, Satyam Surana, who brought attention to the crisis online, added: "@VirginAtlantic has completely failed to provide timely support or meaningful updates. The passengers — including children and seniors — are exhausted and upset."

Passengers also described language barriers and hostile interactions with airport personnel. “The staff is unhelpful and demanding passports from passengers, even though the landing wasn’t their fault,” said Sherilyn Fernandes, whose family member was among those stuck.

After more than a day, Virgin Atlantic confirmed that hotel accommodations had finally been arranged, and efforts were underway to transport the group to Mumbai by April 4.

In an update, AAP’s Preeti Sharma-Menon credited Indian officials for stepping in. “Thanks to the Indian Consular Officer in Turkey, passengers were moved to a hotel last night,” she wrote. “But Virgin Atlantic is yet to provide a clear plan for their return journey.”