Cork, Ireland - Irish police were on Wednesday investigating the death of a 2-year-old Eritrean girl on a flight from Germany to the United States that was diverted to Shannon Airport.

The Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to New York was carrying a group of 24 Eritreans being repatriated as part of an International Organization for Migration programme when it made the unscheduled stop in the west of Ireland Tuesday afternoon for a medical emergency, national broadcaster RTE reported.

Irish police were interviewing the group that was with the child and passengers sitting close to them to find out how she died.

An autopsy was due to be carried out Wednesday at a hospital in the south-western city of Limerick to determine the exact cause of the child's death.

There were over 300 passengers on board the flight and more than 20 crew members, RTE reported. (dpa)