Miley Cyrus' plane struck by lightning on route to Paraguay concert

ASUNCION - US pop star Miley Cyrus said on Wednesday (March 23) that her plane had been struck by lightning en route to a concert near Paraguay's capital Asuncion, forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing.

"To my fans and everyone worried after hearing about my flight to Asuncion. Our plane was caught in a major unexpected storm and struck by lighting," she wrote on Twitter. Her post included a video out of a plane window showing flashing lightning outside.

"My crew, band, friends and family who were all traveling with me are safe after an emergency landing," Cyrus said.

Cyrus, who has 46.5 million Twitter followers and has hits like Wrecking Ball, was scheduled to arrive on Tuesday night at Silvio Pettirossi airport on the outskirts of Asuncion to perform with other artists at the Asuncionico music festival.

Felix Kanasawa, head of the National Directorate of Civil Aviation of Paraguay, told local media that due to severe weather the plane had landed at Guarani airport, near the town of Ciudad del Este, on the border with Brazil.

Cyrus flew on to the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo several hours later, Kanasawa said.

Event organisers suspended the festival due to the weather alert after the storm unleashed heavy downpours, leaving cars submerged and causing power outages in the capital and areas around the metropolitan area, authorities said.

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