A co-flier, who sat next to Manpreet Kaur, the Indian-origin woman from Melbourne who died mid-flight on a Qantas plane to New Delhi on June 20, has spoken about her final moments in the hope of bringing her parents some comfort during this unimaginable time.
“I was sitting next to her on the Qantas flight from Melbourne to Delhi and was actually the last person to talk to her,” Ravinder Singh told NewsAU.
Kaur, who aspired to become a chef, was travelling home to Punjab via New Delhi for the first time in four years that Manpreet was travelling home to see her family.
The 24-year-old student reportedly “felt unwell” hours before arriving at the airport, but managed to board the flight. However, just before the plane was going to take off, she died suddenly in her seat.
The aircraft returned to the gate where emergency services and cabin crew attempted to save her life, but unfortunately, it was too late.
“When I boarded the plane, she was already seated in the aisle. I had a window seat, so I asked her to get up so I could sit down. I noticed she was scrolling through photos on her phone and paused on a picture of an elderly couple. I asked if they were her parents, and she smiled and nodded, continuing to stare at the photo.”
Singh, who had been visiting family in Australia, mentioned that everything seemed fine as the plane began moving towards the runway for take off. He explained that Kaur had put her phone down and rested her head on the seat in front. That’s when he realized something was wrong.
“She had her seatbelt on and leaned forward to rest her head on the seat in front. As the plane was preparing for take off, I wanted to alert her to sit upright,” he shared. “But the plane jerked, and I expected her to wake up. Instead, her head just moved towards me.”
He got the attention of a flight attendant and informed her that the woman didn’t seem well. She checked Ms. Kaur’s pulse, and the cabin crew’s response was commendable as they tried their best to revive her. She was then evacuated by medical staff.
The retired army officer said the incident still haunts him, and he wants her parents to know she “left the world peacefully.”
“The incident has been etched in my memory for life,” he said. “It’s very difficult to accept that a young girl you were just interacting with has passed away in front of your eyes. Her innocent face still haunts me, and I want her parents to know she loved them very much. She left this world peacefully looking at their photograph. My heart breaks for her family, who must have been looking forward to seeing her after a long time.”
It is believed that Kaur likely died of tuberculosis, an infectious disease that primarily affects the lungs, according to the Herald Sun.
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