16 injured as passengers plane make emergency landing in Ireland

Ireland: Sixteen people including 14 passengers and two flight crew have been injured and currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Ireland after a transatlantic flight with 223 passengers and 12 crew members on board was forced to make an emergency landing on Wednesday.

According to aviation officials, the United Airlines flight from Houston, Texas in the US to London Heathrow in the UK had to be diverted to Shannon Airport in Ireland after hitting severe turbulence.

The plane landed safely and ambulance crews were on the runway to meet the flight.

Spokeswoman for Shannon Airport said the 16 wounded people on board were taken to University Hospital Limerick.

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) said it would investigate the incident adding that the flight had travelled through "unexpected turbulence" which led to passengers and crew being wounded before the pilot diverted the plane to Ireland.

"Shannon air traffic control facilitated the flight diversion and the aircraft landed safely," a spokesman for the IAA said.