Tanzania-bound KQ plane returns to JKIA after 'medical emergency'

A Kenya Airways (KQ) plane headed to Dar es Salaam from Nairobi on Sunday returned to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) shortly after departure due to a “medical emergency,” the airline said.

KQ said flight KQ484 made the emergency return at around 1:40 pm and was received by medical personnel, where “necessary health and safety protocols were adhered to.”

It did not specify what sort of medical emergency it was. Earlier reports indicated a suspected toxic chemical leak in the cargo hold from a previous flight.

According to the flight tracking service FlightRadar, the plane departed JKIA at 12.48 pm and was scheduled to land in Dar at 2 pm.

"Upon attending to the emergency, the flight was cleared for takeoff to Dar es Salaam at 15:54hrs," added KQ in a statement.