Indian passenger dies on board evacuation flight

A FORTY-two-year-old passenger on board an Air India flight from Lagos to Mumbai at the weekend died under unusual circumstances.

The development has raised several questions on the checks and thermal screening being conducted at airports amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Sources hinted that the passenger was seen shivering inside the flight. When inquired, the passenger had informed the Air India crew that he had malaria.

Sources said the crew of the flight had also provided him oxygen as he was finding it difficult to breathe.

The passenger, however, collapsed and died on board the flight.

Questions are now being raised at the airport checks on how the passenger with fever was allowed to board the flight.

Air India has, however, said that the passenger died of “natural causes”.

Denying that the passenger had a fever, Air India said: “Our Lagos medical screening team would have detected the same,” if that was the case.

In a statement, the airline said: “A passenger aboard AI1906 of June 13, 2020, from Lagos to Mumbai passed away due to natural causes today.

“A doctor on board along with our crew, who are trained to handle such medical emergencies, made a valiant attempt to revive the passenger, aged 42, who had suddenly collapsed, through resuscitation, but all their efforts went in vain. He was declared dead on board by the attending doctor.

“The MIAL doctors attended to the passenger after the flight landed and after all the procedures were complete, the body was sent to a hospital as per protocol. Relatives of the deceased were informed and aircraft taken for full fumigation in line with prescribed norms.”