According to Air India, attempts to move passengers to nearby hotels failed owing to "infrastructural limitations" surrounding the airport, thus they were placed in a "makeshift accommodation."

According to a statement from the airline, "As we do not have any Air India staff based in the remote town of Magadan or in Russia, all ground support being provided to the passengers is the best possible in this unusual circumstance through our round-the-clock liaison with the Consulate General of India in Vladivostok, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, local ground handlers, and Russian authorities."

When one of the aircraft's engines developed a malfunction on Tuesday, there were 216 passengers and 16 staff members on board the Delhi-San Francisco trip.

The aircraft had to make an emergency landing at Magadan in Russia's Far East.

The airline announced on Thursday that the substitute flight had departed and was making its way to San Francisco.

Air India announced on Wednesday that it has deployed a ferry flight to Russia with supplies for the passengers, including food.

Many people had criticized the airline for the subpar lodging and amenities offered to the travellers in Magadan.

A Twitter user posted a video on Wednesday morning that he claimed was taken by one of the travellers. In the video, passengers are seen dozing off on floor-level beds.

According to the airline, flight A1173 from Delhi to San Francisco "developed a technical issue in one of its engines" and had to make a "safe landing" in Russia on Tuesday. It went on to say that the "aircraft is undergoing the required checks on the ground."

The US stated that it was "closely monitoring the situation."

Although he was unable to confirm their numbers, Vedant Patel, the deputy spokesperson for the State Department, informed reporters that "it was likely that there were US citizens on board the flight."