A Sri Lankan woman, 81, tragically passed away after an emergency landing at Erbil International Airport on Wednesday. The woman, who was en route from Doha to Paris aboard a Qatar Airways flight, experienced severe health complications mid-flight, prompting the pilot to request an emergency landing at Erbil.
The plane touched down at 5:40 p.m. local time, where medical teams immediately responded to assist. Despite their efforts, the woman was declared dead onboard, according to Ahmed Jalal, Sri Lanka’s honorary consul in Erbil.
The deceased, a resident of France, was identified as the mother of a French citizen, who has since contacted Kurdish authorities to arrange for the transport of her remains to Paris.
The incident is being described as unprecedented, with Jalal noting that this is the first such case to occur at Erbil airport.
The Sri Lankan consulate has confirmed the details of the tragic event, and Qatar Airways has yet to comment on the situation.
