An elderly woman has died in Canberra, reportedly due to respiratory distress after disembarking from a plane to the tarmac, thick with smoke from the bushfires.
According to The New Daily, the Canberra woman was on a Qantas flight arriving from Brisbane.
It is believed that she was alive after she left the plane, but became distressed shortly afterwards. ACT police and ambulance attended the scene.
The Canberra Hospital has had to cancel some medical/diagnostic procedures due to smoke impacting the building and equipment. I’m told MRI machines can’t operate, won’t be operating today or tomorrow. #canberrasmoke
— Dr Liz Allen (@DrDemography) 1 January 2020
“ACT Policing was called to the Canberra Airport following the unsuspicious death of a woman at around 4:15 pm today,” a spokeswoman told The New Daily. “A report will be prepared for the coroner.”
Due to the South Coast bushfires, evacuees are heading to Canberra which will see an increase of cars on ACT roads. Please obey the road rules, drive to the conditions, take regular breaks, and be patient and alert. Let’s work together as a community to ensure everyone is safe.
— ACT Policing (@ACTPolicing) 2 January 2020
Speaking to news.com.au, a spokesperson for Qantas said: “Qantas (has) not received any reports of passengers being unwell during the flight and that all passengers had disembarked the aircraft normally.”
