In a freak mishap on Monday morning, a senior air hostess suffered severe injuries after she fell off a New Delhi-bound Air India aircraft as it was preparing for take-off from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) here.
The incident took place shortly before 7 am when the 53-year old air hostess, identified as Harsha Lobo, was closing the door of the the Mumbai-Delhi flight AI-864 for the push back prior to taxiing.
She fell all of a sudden from the aircraft onto the hard tarmac at least six metres below. Before long, some ground staffers around rushed to Lobo’s help.
She was taken to nearby Nanavati Hospital for treatment.
Terming the incident as “unfortunate”, Air India said that Lobo had suffered injuries on her legs.
“In an unfortunate incident, one of our cabin crew (members) Harsha Lobo, fell down on the tarmac from the Boeing 777 aircraft door while closing it,” an AI statement said.
The flight later departed for Delhi after over an hour’s delay.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued later in the afternoon, Dr. Rajendra Patankar, COO, Nanavati Super Specialty Hospital said: “The patient (Lobo) is suffering from right leg compound fracture, fracture in both heels and soft tissue injury in chest, abdomen and lower spine.
She also suffered from a sprain in the neck (cervical spine).
“She is being treated under Dr. Prakash M Doshi, Director of Orthopaedics and Traumatology. She is currently under observation".