Young Aspiring Chef, 24, Collapses from Seat and Dies Suddenly Before Flight Takeoff

Manpreet Kaur, who dreamed of being a chef, boarded the aircraft ready to fly from Melbourne to Delhi to see her family, but never made it.

A young Melbourne woman, Manpreet Kaur, tragically died on a Qantas flight from Melbourne to Delhi on June 20, just hours before she was set to reunite with her family for the first time in four years.

Manpreet Kaur, a 24-year-old student with dreams of becoming a chef, boarded the flight despite feeling unwell prior to arriving at the airport. However, upon attempting to fasten her seatbelt, she collapsed and "died on the spot," according to her friend Gurdip Grewal.

“Just before her flight started, she fell in front of her seat and died on the spot,” said Kaur's friend.

The plane was still at the gate in Melbourne when cabin crew and emergency services rushed to assist her. "When she got on the plane, she was struggling to put her seatbelt on," Grewal told the Herald Sun. "Just before her flight started, she fell in front of her seat and died on the spot."

It is believed that Ms. Kaur likely succumbed to tuberculosis, an infectious disease primarily affecting the lungs, as reported by the Herald Sun.

Her roommate said Kaur had worked at Australia Post while studying cookery, with dreams of one day becoming a chef.

Ms. Kaur had been working at Australia Post while studying cookery, aiming to become a chef. Her roommate, Kuldeep, described her as "kind and honest," adding, "She loved to travel with her friends around Victoria."

Manpreet Kaur was returning to India to see her parents for the first time since moving to Australia in March 2020.

According to a friend, the 24-year-old student reportedly “felt unwell” hours before arriving at the airport but managed to board the flight without any issues.