Flight attendant dies after tumbling from Emirates plane

BT CorrespondentMar 16, 20181 Mins read10.5k

The flight attendant who fell from an Emirates aircraft’s emergency exit in Uganda has succumbed to her injuries. The woman had been rushed to hospital from Entebbe International Airport, near the capital Kampala, after falling from the doorway on Wednesday.

The Flight, EK 730, had just delivered passengers to Entebbe and was preparing to load other passengers for Dubai when the incident happened. The circumstances surrounding the fall are being investigated, with conflicting reports emerging about the incident.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Emirates spokesperson said:

“We can confirm that a member of our cabin crew fell from an open door while preparing the aircraft for boarding on flight EK730 from Entebbe on 14 March 2018. The injured crew member was brought to the hospital, but unfortunately succumbed to her injuries. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, and we’re providing them with all possible support and care. We will extend our full co-operation to the authorities in their investigation.”

The yet-to-be-identified crew member, was immediately evacuated and taken to hospital with life threatening injuries. The exact cause of the incident was not yet clear, but some witnesses cited possible suicide, Nation reports.

READ: Passenger in horror as door falls off landing plane

She had been seen holding what looked like a glass bottle under her chin before she made the fall. Other witnesses said they had seen her in a verbal exchange with colleagues as they boarded the plane. “Her knees were shattered and body cut with broken glass from a bottle she jumped with,” a witness at the airport said.

When contacted, Mr Vianney Luggya, the Principal Public Affairs Officer at the Civil Aviation Authority, confirmed the incident. In a press statement, Civil Aviation Authority said the crew ” opened the emergency door and unfortunately fell off…” without explaining how.

“An Incident happened at Entebbe International Airport this afternoon as a female member of the cabin crew appeared to have opened the emergency door and unfortunately fell off an Emirates Aircraft that had safely landed and parked.” Said a statement released by the Public Affairs Department of Civil Aviation Authority Entebbe.