Passengers marked safe after detection of smoke at Air France flight

An Air France flight carrying 282 passengers from Paris to Shanghai made an unexpected stop in Siberia on Sunday after smoke and a bitter smell filled the cabin, the company said.

No passengers were hurt and they were put up in a hotel near Irkutsk airport in eastern Siberia, Air France told AFP.

"The crew of AF116 on a Boeing 777 from Paris to Shanghai decided to divert to Irkutsk in Russia after an acrid smell and light smoke appeared on board," the French carrier told AFP.

"The flight landed normally in Irkutsk at 8:10 Paris time (0710 GMT)," it said.

Officials at the airport confirmed to Russian news agencies that no one was injured and that experts had been sent to the airport to assess the aircraft.

Air France said the flight could continue to Shanghai after technical clearance.

(With inputs from agencies.)