A tragic incident unfolded on June 20 when a 24-year-old Indian-origin woman, Manpreet Kaur, passed away just before takeoff on a Qantas flight from Melbourne to Delhi. This was to be her first visit to India in four years to visit family, as reported by news.com.au. According to her friend Gurdip Grewal, Manpreet had felt unwell before boarding the flight at Tullamarine Airport but managed to proceed without any apparent issues. However, upon attempting to fasten her seatbelt, she collapsed and passed away instantly.
Emergency services attempted to provide medical assistance
Flight crew and emergency services on board attempted to provide medical assistance, but sadly, their efforts were in vain. A Qantas spokesperson confirmed that medical aid was rendered, but the cause of her sudden death is suspected to be tuberculosis. Manpreet Kaur, who worked at Australia Post and aspired to become a chef, leaves behind a grieving community. Her friend Gurdip Grewal has started a GoFundMe campaign to support her family during this difficult time.
Victoria Police are preparing a report for the coroner, and Qantas expressed condolences to Manpreet's family and loved ones through a spokesperson's statement to news.com.au.
Person died after ending up in a running aircraft engine
Earlier in May, a person died after ending up in a running aircraft engine at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, Dutch airline KLM said. The investigation has not yet identified who the person was, a Marechaussee spokesperson told Reuters. The spokesperson added that it was too early to say whether this was an "incident", or a form of suicide. He added that all passengers and crew, who will be important witnesses to the investigation, had safely left the plane.
The indication that the engine was operational implied that the Cityhopper plane was getting ready for departure, as per the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. De Telegraaf's website conveyed, "An employee onboard the aircraft noted that an individual leapt into the engine right after the crew finished the safety instructions. Following this, there was a cacophonous noise, accompanied by a brief sight of smoke. Both passengers and staff witnessed the incident firsthand."
