Passenger falls sick onboard Chennai-Kolkata flight, later dies

A SpiceJet flight on way from Chennai to Kolkata had to be diverted to Bhubaneswar on Sunday after a 48-year-old passenger fell sick, officials said, adding that he later died. Ashok Kumar Sharma complained of breathing problem soon after SpiceJet flight SG-623, a Boeing 737-800 aircraft, took off from Chennai and a medical emergency was declared, the officials said.

The pilot requested for an ambulance and a doctor on arrival which was made available, a SpiceJet spokesperson said. He was taken to a medical room at the airport soon after the plane landed, Bhubaneswar Airport Director S C Hota said.

Sharma was then rushed to a private hospital where doctors declared him brought dead, he said. The body has been sent to the Capital Hospital for postmortem.