A Sri Lankan woman facing health issues prompted a plane to make an emergency landing at Erbil International Airport in Iraq on Wednesday, as reported by foreign media. Tragically, she passed away in the Kurdish capital hours later, confirmed by Sri Lanka’s honorary consul.
Ahmed Jalal, the honorary consul of Sri Lanka in Erbil, revealed that authorities notified them about the 81-year-old woman, who was traveling from Doha to Paris. “An emergency occurred aboard the plane, leading the pilot to request landing at Erbil airport, which happened at 5:40 PM,” he stated. Medical teams were dispatched to assist, but the woman unfortunately died onboard.
Living in France, her son, a French citizen, has reached out to Kurdish authorities for assistance in repatriating her body to Paris. Jalal noted that this incident marks the first of its kind. The plane, operated by Qatar Airways, has yet to comment on the situation.
