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Tom Daley involved in emergency landing

A plane carrying diver Tom Daley has had to make an emergency landing in Russia after "a technical issue".

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Tom Daley involved in emergency plane landing

A plane carrying diver Tom Daley has had to make an emergency landing in Russia after "a technical issue". He and his partner Dustin Lance Black were among 301 people aboard a Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340 which had to put down in the Siberian city of Irkutsk, on a flight from Shanghai to London.

Daley was returning after competing in the world diving championships in Shanghai.

"Virgin Atlantic can confirm that the VS251 travelling from Shanghai to London Heathrow has diverted to Irkutsk Airport, Russia, as a precautionary measure due to a technical issue. Safety and security is always our top priority.

The aircraft is currently on the ground and our customers are being looked after by our cabin crew. Our priority now is to ensure our customers resume their journey as soon as possible.

The airline would like to thank passengers for their patience and apologise for any inconvenience caused."

– Virgin spokeswoman

There were 286 passengers aboard, including three infants, as well as three flight deck crew and 12 cabin crew.

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