The skies are often considered a bridge between the far corners of the world, a place where joyous reunions and exciting adventures begin.

However, for one young woman, a journey through these skies turned into a heartbreaking final voyage.

The tragic death of Manpreet Kaur, a 24-year-old student with aspirations of becoming a chef, has left a community in mourning and raised questions about the unforeseen risks of air travel.

Manpreet Kaur, a young woman from Melbourne, eagerly anticipated her 20 June flight on Qantas from Melbourne to Delhi.

The trip was meant to end her four-year separation from her family, a reunion she had long awaited and deeply yearned for.

Tragically, she never made it to her destination.

Manpreet Kaur was about to visit her family when she had a tragic death. Credit: Shutterstock

According to a close friend, Manpreet ‘felt unwell’ in the hours before her flight but managed to board the plane without incident.

The situation took a sudden and devastating turn when, in the process of fastening her seatbelt, Manpreet collapsed to the floor.

Despite being at the gate and having immediate assistance from cabin crew and emergency services, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Gurdip Grewal, a friend of Manpreet, recounted the harrowing moments, saying, 'When she got on the plane, she was struggling to put her seatbelt on. Just before her flight started, she fell in front of her seat and died on the spot.'

The cause of death is understood to be tuberculosis, a serious infectious disease primarily affecting the lungs, though this has not been officially confirmed.

Manpreet's story is one of dreams and determination. While studying cookery, she worked at Australia Post, nurturing her passion for culinary arts with the hope of one day donning the chef's hat.

Described by her roommate, Kuldeep, as 'kind and honest’, Manpreet was also known for her love of exploring Victoria with her friends.

Her journey to India was not just a homecoming but a chance to reconnect with her roots and the family she had not seen since her move to Australia in March 2020.

A GoFundMe page was set up to support her grieving family.

'Our dear friend Manpreet left us too soon, leaving a void in our lives that can never be filled,’ the page read.

As we grieve her passing, we want to come together to honour 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 has extended their condolences, stating, 'Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones.'

Key Takeaways

• A young woman named Manpreet Kaur tragically died on a Qantas international flight from Melbourne to Delhi.
• Before boarding the flight, the 24-year-old student reportedly felt unwell but did not expect it to be serious.
• Ms Kaur likely died of tuberculosis; she collapsed and passed away before the flight departed from the gate.
• A GoFundMe page has been established to support Ms Kaur's family, while Qantas has expressed condolences to her loved ones.

Our thoughts and prayers go to the bereaved family of Manpreet Kaur.

May she rest in peace.

 

[darrellh]

Immigrants and people on visas such as student visas are screened for this as a visa requirement. However, there are ways of getting around this in foreign countries.

Then perhaps they need to close that loophole quickly if there is such a thing with the government

 

[Zuki]

QUESTION: Why was she loose in the community with such a contagious disease ,especially as she seemed to have been at its very late stages for her to just drop on the spot.
Although I am very sorry that she died at such a young age, I think thus case warrants investigation.
Maybe people from countries that have T.B. Should be screened on arrival and monitored for three months - like they did to NEW AUSTRALIANS IN THE SIXTEES!
Zoe.

 

[goatwhisperer]

They are bringing in these diseases that were stamped out.....

Please dont make wild statements and accusations like that unless you know what you atevtalking about. As a now retired Infection Control Nurse, Tuberculosis comes in more than one form and not necessarily the highly infectious variety. It can end up in the brain/spine not necessarily the lungs where coughing can spread it. Though not as contagious as many people believe. TB has not been stamped out at all, rather monitored and treated where necessary and TB vaccinations are offered and given to risk groups. I was also an endorsed TB immuniser and contact tracer..may that poor girl Rest in Peace, no matter what it was that caused her death.

 

[goatwhisperer]

Read m

QUESTION: Why was she loose in the community with such a contagious disease ,especially as she seemed to have been at its very late stages for her to just drop on the spot.
Although I am very sorry that she died at such a young age, I think thus case warrants investigation.
Maybe people from countries that have T.B. Should be screened on arrival and monitored for three months - like they did to NEW AUSTRALIANS IN THE SIXTEES!
Zoe.

Read my reply in this thread . But did you also know TB can be caught from animals, in Australia? Fairly rare but does happen..

 

[Robbo3006]

How did she get tuberculosis in Australia if she's been here 4 years, is Tb a disease we have here again now? I thought we'd wiped it out years ago?

 

[KaraJenna]

I bet my bottom dollar that the TB story is a load of BS to cover up something they would like to hide! We all know what that is.

???

 

[DLHM]

Someone who is so ill that they drop dead before the plane even took off should have raised concerns in the airport. Why was she even allowed to board the plane?

How often are we told, if we don’t feel well, stay home? As much as she wanted to get together with family overseas, she was irresponsible and selfish to possibly expose others to whatever she was afflicted with.

 

[Will1243]

Thankfully, tuberculosis is not highly contagious and you usually only get it from repeated exposure to an infected person. Typically it occurs when people live in overcrowded housing conditions. The fellow passengers should be okay as their exposure was brief and a "one-off" encounter. It is her fellow students, housemates and APO workers who are at risk. However, visa applicants (immigrant and student visas) to Australia are screened for TB via chest x-ray as a visa requirement. Did this one somehow bypass that system? You may think this is unlikely but it isn't. When I lived in California (which had the same visa requirement), I worked for a heart and lung doctor and we had cases of patients with tuberculosis who had been able to enter the US because they had someone else take their chest x-ray in their country of origin. However, there isn't any way of telling whether she was originally infected here or in India.

This is an allegation against the applicant and the doctor. You need proof before you do this.

 

[Frida1944]

The world's largest cause of death from communicable diseases, tuberculosis, had been almost stamped out in Australia. 25% of the world's TB sufferers are in India. The majority of Australians with TB are migrants. Australia's Indian population is our second largest migrant group. I am very much in favour of migration but surely there is a way to check medically migrants coming here, particularly from countries with high levels of communicable diseases. This young woman's tragic death need not go in vain. It should be a wakeup call to our government.

My husband, son and I emigrated to Australia in the 80s. Before arrival we all had to produce x-rays to confirm there was an absence of TB. I presume therefore this is still the case for all immigrants.

 

[Frida1944]

This sounds rather strange - it's hard to believe you can die suddenly from TB - surely this woman would have had severe symptoms requiring medical intervention prior to her travel plans?

 

[IAN3005]

Please dont make wild statements and accusations like that unless you know what you atevtalking about. As a now retired Infection Control Nurse, Tuberculosis comes in more than one form and not necessarily the highly infectious variety. It can end up in the brain/spine not necessarily the lungs where coughing can spread it. Though not as contagious as many people believe. TB has not been stamped out at all, rather monitored and treated where necessary and TB vaccinations are offered and given to risk groups. I was also an endorsed TB immuniser and contact tracer..may that poor girl Rest in Peace, no matter what it was that caused her death.

You believe what you want to and I belive what I want to.........

 

[IAN3005]

Immigrants and people on visas such as student visas are screened for this as a visa requirement. However, there are ways of getting around this in foreign countries.

Yeah..... I bet..something isn't right...... smells fishy... these students and education centres are a scam.
My daughter had her own business in this field and closed it down because she wouldn't "TOW THE LINE".

 

[Wattoval]

As much as this story sad, what has it got to do with flying!!!!!!!!!!
The woman had Tuberculosis and if she hadn’t been feeling well why did she not see her Dr before travelling overseas.
The symptoms don’t just suddenly appear out of the blue, not just a bit of a cold.
And was the story mentioned because it was a Qantas Flight.

 

[Wattoval]

They are bringing in these diseases that were stamped out.....

TB has never been stamped out, we see more now due to increase in immigration and millions travelling, people are not screened as in this past.

 

[IAN3005]

As much as this story sad, what has it got to do with flying!!!!!!!!!!
The woman had Tuberculosis and if she hadn’t been feeling well why did she not see her Dr before travelling overseas.
The symptoms don’t just suddenly appear out of the blue, not just a bit of a cold.
And was the story mentioned because it was a Qantas Flight.

Yes... many questions arise from this......

 

[johno cpfc]

When my wife and i emigrated from the UK in 1964 we both had x ray scans before and within 6 months of arriving we had a further scan just to make sure we were not infected.

 

[Towing]

Immigrants and people on visas such as student visas are screened for this as a visa requirement. However, there are ways of getting around this in foreign countries.

Some countries you have to be screened before you can enter the country. USA you definitely do.

 

[Penny4]

If someone has TB it lays dormant in the body forever. I know this because one of my relatives had TB as a young child in NSW growing up on a farm. Every so often the symptoms would arise and become infectious to others. The NSW Govt. officials would come to her home and watch her swallow the medication when this happened. TB didn't kill her and she lived well into her 90's.

 

[Penny4]

I'm more alarmed she worked at the local post office. Plus, her close friend who was with her when she felt unwell. She obviously shunned any medical treatment.

 

[Scaveola]

Exactly bloody covid vaccines. TB what BS, I know of half a dozen people who were affected in someway. Plus just look at the Spotlight special on Channel 7 on Sunday about the ramifications of the vaccine. I think people are now a lot more aware.

Ridiculous, I thought you were both referring to Covid or vaccines. Vaccines could not cause all that. TB is unfortunately in the community - we don't generally get vaccinated for it now. No one was an anti-vaxxer until social media spread all this rubbish about Covid, done for their own profit or notoriety. I have seen patients who died of measles and know an old woman who lost twins to diphtheria, seen diphtheria in the 70s, also had friends with polio etc. My great grandmother had 11 siblings who died of childhood illnesses. Without vaccines, many of us would not be here now! Plus smallpox has been eradicated by vaccination. This girl was 24, that is a group that is not advised to have Covid vaccine now unless immunocompromised.