Infant dies mid-air, forcing Kochi-Bahrain flight to land in Abu Dhabi

www.mangaloretoday.com

Abu Dhabi, March 3, 2015: A year-old Indian baby girl died mid-air on board a Gulf Air flight that was on its way from Kochi (Kerala) to the Bahraini capital of Manama, forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing at Abu Dhabi International Airport on Monday morning.

The baby, identified as Hrishipria, was flying with her mother Ashwini. According to family sources in India, the father of the child, identified as Binoy, has been working in Bahrain for the last 10 years. The couple got married three years ago. Ashwini was residing in Bahrain with her husband but had travelled to Kerala for delivery of the baby about one-and-a-half-years back. The family hails from Thrissur in central Kerala.

Binoy arrived late Monday from Bahrain and joined his wife in Abu Dhabi.

“As the aircraft landed at Abu Dhabi International Airport, we immediately shifted the body to Shaikh Khalifa (Medical City) hospital morgue,” said an airline source.

He said the airline staff offloaded the luggage of the mother and child at Abu dhabi airport and the plane left for Manama after a delay of one-and-a-half hours. “We made all arrangements for shifting the body to the hospital morgue and took care of the mother in this time of grief,” he said.

About an official statement from the airline, he said it can only be issued by “our headquarters” in Manama after completion of all the medico-legal procedures in Abu Dhabi. We will provide all necessary help to the grieving family for repatriation of the body,” he added.

According to sources, the child suddenly felt sick almost half-way to Manama from Kochi and died on board, which forced the airline to make an emergency landing in Abu Dhabi.

Courtesy: Khaleej Times