Flight makes emergency landing at Varanasi after Thai passenger suffers heart attack, but in vain

A Bangkok-New Delhi Spice Jet flight made an emergency landing in Varanasi on Friday after a Thai national suffered a massive heart attack on board, authorities said. He died soon after.

A New Delhi-bound flight made an emergency landing in Varanasi on Friday after a Thai national suffered a massive heart attack on board, authorities said here.

SpiceJet said in a statement that the passenger was rushed to a hospital by the SpiceJet team. However, he was declared brought dead by the attending doctors. (HT/Picture for representation)

The Spice Jet flight took off from Bangkok at 7.40 am with 189 passengers, including a 22-member Thai group of tourists of which the deceased, identified as Atabot Thngcusorn (53), was a member.

Authorities at Varanasi’s Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport were informed by the plane crew that Atabot suffered a heart attack and they would have to make an emergency landing. Soon after the plane landed, the passenger was rushed to a nearby medical facility where he was pronounced dead.

Airport director Anil Kumar Rai said the deceased was accompanied by his wife, sister and seven other family members. All have since deplaned at Varanasi and the Thai Embassy was being notified of the incident.

“After landing, the passenger was rushed to a hospital by the SpiceJet team. However, the passenger was declared brought dead by the attending doctors,” the airline statement said.