Flight forced to land in Shannon after passenger dies of suspected heart attack

KML flight KL714 departed Paramaribo in Suriname, on the north eastern coast of South America, at 5.15pm local time and was travelling to Amsterdam.

However, several hours into the flight a male passenger became unwell and the plane was forced to re-route to Shannon.

“The passenger became seriously ill on board and unfortunately died afterwards,” a KLM spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for Shannon Airport confirmed the emergency landing was due to a “medical emergency”.

"The aircraft landed safely at 4.22am and was met by emergency services and airport staff. A passenger was transferred to University Hospital Limerick (UHL). The aircraft departed Shannon shortly before 6.00am,” they added.

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It’s understood the passenger had died by the time the ambulance reached UHL.

The deceased man has been named by media outlets in Suriname as Rudi Dwarkasing. Mr Dwarkasing was aged in his 50s and worked as a psychiatrist. He was the director of the Suriname Psychiatric Centre, which specialises in the care of older people.

It’s been reported that Mr Dwarkasing died from a suspected heart attack, and that he was travelling with family members at the time of incident.

A spokesperson for Shannon Airport said this is the second KLM aircraft to have diverted to Shannon with a medical emergency since the New Year.