Less than few hours after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) carrier, Emirates Airlines, launched its second daily flight to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos and returned to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, the airline has recorded its first causality.
A source close to the airline told SaharaReporters on Friday night that a Nigerian passenger identified as Mrs. Abaniwonda Modupe Kofoworola was found dead onboard the airline when it landed at the Lagos Airport.
Kofoworola according to the airline source was with the passport number: A07562816 until her death on the aircraft.
The flight EK783 (DXB) with the Expected Time of Arrival (ETA) at 15:55hrs, but, arrived at 15:50 hrs with the corpse of Mrs. Kofoworola.
Immediately on arrival, the airline crew notified the medical team of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) who immediately swung into action, but the deceased was confirmed dead by Dr. Akanwo of FAAN Medical at 16:35hrs.
Immediately she was confirmed dead, FAAN officials together with the staff of the airline at the Lagos Airport evacuated her body from the aircraft, loaded her in a FAAN ambulance and moved her to the general hospital in Ikeja.
As at the time of filing this report, the cause of her death could not be ascertained.
The source said: “No one knows the exact time the woman died onboard the airplane, but immediately the aircraft landed, the crew called our attention to the incident and we had to inform FAAN officials.”
This is not the first time a Nigerian would be dying onboard Emirates coming into Nigeria.
It would be recalled that in July, the President of Lions Club in Nigeria, Mr. Dada Isaac Olusola on arrival slumped and died at the Lagos Airport few minutes after arriving at the airport.
The deceased, who was in the company of his wife and Lions Club members had arrived the country aboard the airline from the United States of America.
The plane had a stopover in Dubai before connecting Lagos. The team had gone to the US for a conference, relating to Lions Club.
Olusola was with the passport number: A04501199 as at the time of his death. He had arrived the country on flight EK783 (DXB) at 15:55 hours.
