Emirates in emergency landing after passenger dies

An Emirates Airline flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday after a passenger died following take-off.

Flight EK787 to the Ghanaian capital Accra left Dubai shortly after 10:00, before having to land in Riyadh following the passenger’s death. The cause of death was not immediately clear.

"The passenger received immediate medical attention however unfortunately was pronounced dead by an airport physician on the ground," an Emirates spokesperson said in a statement.

"Emirates would like to express its condolences to the family of the deceased."

The flight later landed in Accra, before making an onward journey to Abidjan in Cote D’Ivoire.