A 70-year-old man, who complained of chest pain and uneasiness on board an Air India flight from Vancouver to Delhi on Friday night, was deboarded in Kolkata and rushed to a hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival, airport sources said.
The deceased was identified as Dalbir Singh, who hailed from Delhi. After Singh complained of feeling unwell on board the AI 186 flight, which has a stopover in Kolkata, the cabin crew immediately informed the pilot, who in turn informed the airport authorities. Singh was de-boarded around 9.15 pm, following which the flight left for Delhi at 10.10 pm with the remaining passengers, airport sources said.
Air India has yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
“We heard that he was saying that he was having trouble breathing and was having chest pains. Whether he had any medical issues or not is not known,” a senior airport official said.
According to police sources, Singh’s family has been informed. His body has been taken to R G Kar Hospital, where a post-mortem will be conducted, following which it will be handed over to the family after verification of documents, the sources added.
A similar incident had occurred on the same flight in June this year. With 162 passengers and crew on board, the flight had landed in Kolkata for its scheduled technical halt and took off for Delhi. After being airborne for more than 25 minutes, the aircraft had to return and make a precautionary landing as a female passenger fell ill, an Air India official had said then. After deplaning the sick passenger, the aircraft left for Delhi. It was later learnt that the passenger was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage.
Experience
Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness.
Geographical Expertise: Provides focused, in-depth coverage of West Bengal, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the state's news and political nuances.
Core Authority: Her reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial, often sensitive, beats, including:
State Politics and Governance: Covering the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition strategies (BJP), and internal political controversies.
Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues.
Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).
Social & Electoral Issues: Covering public events, community tensions (e.g., religious/political gatherings), and election-related processes like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.
Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read More
