The devastating final words of a young woman who died on a flight last month have been revealed as a witness admitted the tragedy will be 'etched' in his 'memory for life'.
On 20 June, 24-year-old student Manpreet Kaur boarded a Qantas flight from Melbourne, Australia to Delhi, India.
However, she tragically passed away before the aircraft took off.
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Manpreet had moved to Australia in 2020 to chase her dreams of becoming a chef.
In the week prior to her death, the culinary student had been feeling unwell. Her cousin and roommate, Kuldeep Kaur, said she'd had 'difficult talking' and 'no energy to do anything.'
She said Manpreet was travelling home to Dharampura, India so her family could look after her.
But when got on the plane, she reportedly struggled to put her seatbelt on, then 'fell in front of her seat and died on the spot.'
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Kuldeep said she 'couldn't believe it' when police told her that she'd passed away.
She shared her cousin's final words to her with the Daily Mail Australia.
"I drove her to the airport that morning and she said, 'I will come back'," Kuldeep said.
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A passenger sitting next to Manpreet has since shared further details about the tragedy.
Ravinder Singh told News.com.au that when he took his seat next to Manpreet, he noticed 'she began scrolling through photos on her mobile phone and stopped at a photograph of an elderly couple.'
"I asked if they were her parents. She smiled and nodded and kept staring at it," he said.
However, when the plane was preparing for takeoff, Ravinder realised that something was wrong.
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Manpreet had put her phone down and had 'leaned forward to rest her head on the seat in front.'
He tried to tell her to 'sit upright' for takeoff and when the plane 'jerked' and she didn't wake up, he called for help from cabin crew. She was later evacuated from the plane.
Ravinder says the devastating incident will be 'etched' in his 'memory for life.'
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A post-mortem confirmed that Manpreet had been suffering from tuberculosis. This led authorities to rule that her body could not be transported out of Australia.
Her family have been forced to apply for visas to fly to the country to attend her funeral.
Manpreet's friend, Gurdip Grewal has has since started a GoFundMe to raise money for her family.
The page reads: "Our dear friend Manpreet left us too soon, leaving a void in our lives that can never be filled.
"As we grieve her passing, we want to come together to honor her memory and support her family in their time of need.
"As we say our final goodbyes, every contribution, big or small, brings us closer to our goal. Your support means the world to us and Manpreet's family."
A Qantas spokesperson told news.com.au that the airline's 'thoughts are with [Manpreet's] family and loved ones.'
Topics: Health, Travel, World News
Bec Oakes