A 24-year-old woman, Manpreet Kaur, died suddenly while flying from Melbourne to Delhi on a Qantas flight, reportedly due to tuberculosis.
Manpreet, an aspiring chef, was feeling unwell but boarded the flight on 20 June without any issues, according to her friends. Tragically, she collapsed and died before the plane departed.
The Herald Sun reported that Manpreet likely succumbed to tuberculosis, an infectious disease that primarily affects the lungs. Qantas confirmed that on 20 June, a passenger on their Melbourne to Delhi flight required medical attention shortly after boarding. Despite urgent assistance from both crew and emergency services, Kaur passed away.
Qantas became aware on 1 July, through media reports, that Kaur may have had tuberculosis. The airline then contacted Australia’s National Incident Centre Operations for more information. This health issue had not been previously disclosed to Qantas.
On 2 July, the Department of Health in Victoria informed the airline that they had begun limited contact tracing. Individuals identified as having a potential risk will be screened, while other passengers on the aircraft at the time will not undergo contact tracing, according to Qantas.
Meanwhile, friends and family remembered Kaur as a kind and honest person.
“Our dear friend Manpreet left us too soon, leaving a void in our lives that can never be filled,” wrote Gurdip Grewal, a friend of Kaur who also set up a GoFundMe fundraiser. “As we grieve her passing, we want to come together to honor her memory and support her family in their time of need.”
Grewal reportedly told News Corp that Kaur had been feeling unwell for some time.
Victoria Police and Victoria Ambulance confirmed they attended to the emergency. Police are now preparing a report for the coroner and have confirmed that an investigation is underway.