Diyarbakir: More than 250 passengers, many of them Indian nationals, have been stranded at Diyarbakir Airport in Turkey for over 40 hours following an unexpected disruption to Virgin Atlantic flight VS358 from London to Mumbai.

The flight, which departed London on April 2, was diverted to Diyarbakir due to an "urgent medical emergency" and subsequently grounded after the aircraft encountered a technical issue upon landing.

A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson stated, "The safety and security of our customers and crew remain our highest priority. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused."

As per reports, the airline is currently inspecting the aircraft and awaiting technical approvals to resume the journey. If cleared, flight VS1358 is scheduled to depart for Mumbai at 12:00 local time on Friday, April 4.

However, if approvals are delayed, the airline has arranged a contingency plan to bus passengers to another Turkish airport, where an alternative aircraft will complete the trip to Mumbai.

Passengers have faced challenging conditions during the ordeal, with many taking to social media to voice their frustrations. Reports indicate that the 300-odd travelers had access to only a single toilet at the airport.