German MP dies after plane makes emergency stop at Shannon Airport

Mon, 22 Mar, 2021 - 07:37

Steven Heaney

A prominent German MP has died after her plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Shannon Airport.

Karin Strenz, who was a member of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, is reported to have lost consciousness after taking ill on a flight from Cuba to Germany.

As a result, the plane was forced to make an emergency stop in Shannon at around 7.30pm on Sunday.

Upon landing, it was met by airport personnel, paramedics and gardaí.

Ms Strenz, 53, was then rushed to University Hospital Limerick where she was pronounced dead a short time later.

A post-mortem to examine the exact cause of her death is expected to be carried out.

In a statement, a Garda spokesperson said:

"Gardaí and Emergency services were alerted to a medical emergency onboard a flight which landed at Shannon Airport, county Clare on 21 at approximately 7.30pm.

"A woman (50s) was taken to University Hospital Limerick from the aircraft.

"The woman was pronounced deceased a short time later. Arrangements have been made for a post-mortem to take place."

It is understood Ms Strenz was travelling with her husband from Varadero in Cuba to Frankfurt.

It is not known whether the couple were travelling for personal or for work-related reasons.

Ms Strenz was born in the town of Lübz in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Germany’s northeast.

She was first elected to the German Parliament in 2009.

Before being elected to the Bundestag, she served for 7 years in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state Government.