Flight from Dubai quarantined at JFK after passengers reported ill

A flight from Dubai having landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City on Wednesday has been quarantined after passengers reported to be sick, local media reported.

The flight, Emirates Flight 203, landed at the airport at around 9:10 a.m. (1310 GMT) with 521 people aboard.

The sick passengers were reported to have symptoms of coughing and vomiting, with some suffering high fevers.

Eric Phillips, press secretary for the New York City mayor, said on Twitter that 10 sick people had been taken off the plane, and were sent to Jamaica Hospital for treatment. Another eight sick people were being treated at the airport.

Phillips added that 432 people have been cleared.

Emirates Airlines released a statement shortly after the incident, saying it "can confirm that about 10 passengers on #EK203 from Dubai to New York were taken ill. On arrival, as a precaution, they were attended to by local health authorities. All others will disembark shortly. The safety & care of our customers is our first priority."

A passenger named Sykes said after being cleared by authorities that she did not understand why the airline allowed so many people who coughed "violently" to board the plane in Dubai in the first place.

The cause of the illness is not immediately known.