The passenger who sustained injuries amid extreme turbulence onboard a Mumbai-Durgapur SpiceJet flight in May this year passed away; stated reports. A native of Giridih region of Jharkhand, Akbar Ansari (48) reportedly died of a spine injury according to the death certificate issued by West Bengal hospital.
Ansari was one of the 17 individuals who were hurt due to turbulence flight SG 945--which departed from Mumbai--experienced turbulence when it descended into Durgapur airport. Reportedly 195 passengers were on board at the time.
A report in the Hindustan Times stated Ansari passed away on September 26 due to sepsis shock which was brought on by his spinal injury and polytrauma. He died after recieving treatment at The Mission Hospital for almost five months.
The patient was taken to the hospital at 3.30 am on May 2 and passed away at 5.06 pm on September 26.
A DCGA official was quoted in the report saying Ansrai had been receiving treatment for a severe spinal injury and a neck fracture. The official said that he was on ventilator for more than a month.
SpiceJet claims bore expenses, kin refutes
SpiceJet spokesperson speaking about the incident said that all medical costs for Ansari's treatment was borne by the airline. They added that his passing was unfortunate and said that the company provided necessary aid and is paying compensation as well.
Ansari's brother Maulana Akhtar though refuted the claims. He said the company only contacted them but are yet to receive the compensation. He said that so far they managed by contributing to Ansari's familial expenses but going is getting tougher.
Akhtar, Ansari and another family member were travelling together in the flight. Recounting the incident Akhtar mentioned despite wearing seatbelts, his brother's head struck aircraft's roof twice due to turbulence inflicting spinal cord and neck injuries.
Airline tickets should be insured: experts
An ariline expert, Vipurl Saxena was quoted in the article saying that all tickets must be insured that the passengers should be charged for tickets adding insurance amount.
He also mentioned that policy is needed to ensure airlines are required to make immediate payments in event of any accident or mishap and that hey pay for necessary medical care--in partial or total capacity.
A report on the incident has not yet been made public by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
Watch: Mumbai-Durgapur Spicejet flight encounters severe turbulence
On May 1, 2022 the Boeing B737 aircraft operating flight SG-945 from Mumbai to Durgapur encountered severe turbulence during the descent which resulted in injuries to a few passengers. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had suspended the licenses of pilots for violation of rules in two separate cases.
