A passenger died after going into a medical emergency on board a Kenya Airways plane on its way from Nairobi to Lagos on Tuesday night, October 6.

The passenger became unresponsive at around 9:20pm Nigerian time, just about 20 minutes before the plane was due to land at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. Cabin crew responded immediately, providing first aid and following standard operating procedures to address the emergency, Kenya Airways said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Unfortunately, one of our passengers was found to be unresponsive approximately 20 minutes before landing in Lagos,” the statement said.

The plane touched down at Lagos airport at 9:41pm, where medics were waiting to give the patient further care as per the procedure.

“On landing at Murtala Muhammed International Airport at 21:41 hrs, the aircraft was met by medical personnel, and on further examination, the medical personnel confirmed that the passenger had passed away,” Kenya Airways said.

The circumstances surrounding the fatal incident are currently under investigation by Nigerian Authorities.

Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection in the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority said his agency had been updated on the development by Kenya Airways and that police had taken over the investigation.

“I don’t want to preempt the police investigation, but they have taken it over for now,” he said.

However, the authorities did not give any information regarding the deceased passenger’s name, age, nationality, and the medical condition that led to the unfortunate incident. Achimugu said the family of the deceased can apply for an autopsy as the probe unfolded.

Meanwhile, Kenya Airways has kept the name of the deceased passenger, age, nationality, and the nature of the illness confidential. The airline said it was in conversation with the family of the deceased, local authorities, and regulators to manage the situation.

“We convey our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased and apologise for any inconvenience this incident may have caused,” Kenya Airways said.

The airline left the family and the deceased’s friends to manage the tragedy in their own time while presenting the patient and his relatives with the highest compassion and support.

Kenya Airways said the emergency on board did not require an emergency landing, as the unfortunate incident occurred just minutes before the plane was scheduled to land in Lagos, where the authorities were on standby to receive the patient.

More developments are expected to come as the investigation unfolds to determine the cause of the fateful passenger medical emergency.