A Delta Airlines flight that had just taken off from Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday had to make a quick landing back at the airport after a young girl on board the flight suffered a medical emergency and died.
Authorities say Delta flight 2423 bound for Seattle declared a medical emergency shortly after takeoff and turned around to land back at LAX. The passenger was identified as 10-year-old Janice Xu, Lt. David Smith of the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office told CNN.
"LAFD paramedics responded to a medical aid for a minor female child and furiously worked to save her life. Sadly, all efforts were futile and the child was beyond medical help," the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a statement.
Authorities do not know why the 10-year-old suffered cardiac arrest. The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office is scheduled to perform an autopsy in the next day or so, Smith said. No other information will be available until the autopsy has been completed and finalized.
Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department also investigated the girl's death and found there was no foul play involved. There are no plans to investigate further, officials said.
In a statement, Delta confirmed the incident and said the company was working to get customers on board the flight to their destination.
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