Elena Vassileva, The Air Hostess Who Fell from Plane in Uganda, Has Died
46-year-old Elena Vassileva, a Bulgarian national and an Emirates air hostess who was part of the crew as flight EK730 prepared to fly to Dubai from Entebbe, has reportedly died following her fall from the emergency door of a parked aeroplane in Uganda’s Entebbe airport.
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Though Ugandan police and the country’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are investigating the confusing circumstances surrounding the death of the Emirates air hostess, however it was gathered that a badly injured Vassileva, suffered life-threatening injuries, and was pictured crumpled and bleeding on the tarmac before she was rushed to hospital where she was declared dead on arrival.
Her death was reported on social media on Thursday with reports of her having a verbal altercation with other crew members while passengers stated she had deliberately opened the door, with a glass held under her throat, speculating that “suicide might have been the reason for jumping”.
However, Emirates refused to confirm her death despite Kisubi Hospital reporting her dead on arrival after she was rushed there by ambulance from the airport.
Enca reported that Emirates however said, she was being treated in hospital and that she had “fallen” from the aircraft.
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“We can confirm that a member of our cabin crew unfortunately fell off from an open door while preparing the aircraft for boarding on flight EK729 from Entebbe on 14 March. The injured crew member was brought to the nearest hospital.
We are providing all possible support and care for the affected crew, and will extend our full co-operation to the authorities in their investigation” the airline said in its statement.
Francis Sekandi, spokesman for the Kisubi hospital where the female crew member was taken for emergency treatment following the fall on Wednesday, confirmed her death.
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“We received her from the Civil Aviation Authority in an ambulance, but she was already dead,” Sekandi said late Thursday.
