Kolkata: A 16-year-old girl from Iraq tragically lost her life while flying to China for kidney treatment. The girl, identified as Dekan Ahmed, was travelling with her parents to Guangzhou when her health suddenly worsened mid-flight. Despite immediate efforts to save her, she passed away shortly after an emergency landing in Kolkata.
The incident took place on an Iraqi Airways flight, which was about 30 minutes away from Kolkata airport when the pilot urgently contacted air traffic control (ATC) for permission to land due to the medical emergency. The plane landed safely at 10.12 pm, and the airport’s health officers immediately examined the girl. By the time the doctors arrived, they could not detect her pulse or heartbeat.
97 passengers were on board the flight
The flight, Iraqi Airways IA-473, had 97 passengers and 15 crew members on board. Despite the quick actions of both the flight crew and Kolkata airport officials, Dekan Ahmed could not be saved. She was taken to a nearby private hospital, where doctors officially declared her dead.
Authorities in Kolkata arranged for her body to be transferred to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where a post-mortem was conducted on Thursday. Following the examination, her remains were prepared to be taken back to Baghdad via Delhi in a coffin on Friday.
Communication barrier
The police, who assisted the grieving family, faced challenges due to language barriers, as the family spoke little to no English. The local authorities sought help from the Iraqi diplomatic mission in Delhi, who arranged for an interpreter in Kolkata. Through this interpreter, the police learned that Dekan had been suffering from kidney-related health issues and was en route to China for treatment.
The sudden death left the remaining passengers in distress. After completing all formalities, the Iraqi Airways flight resumed its journey to Guangzhou, departing Kolkata at 1.49 am with the rest of the passengers and crew.
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