Boy falls from aerobridge, severely hurt

New Delhi: In yet another case of gross negligence at IGI Airport, an eight-year-old sustained severe head injuries after he reportedly fell off the aerobridge - a height of about 11 feet - while trying to cross on to it from the aircraft on Thursday.
The victim, being treated at a private hospital in south Delhi, has been diagnosed with a clot in his brain and is scheduled to undergo surgery soon.
According to sources, Varunabh Bhatnagar had arrived in Delhi from Abu Dhabi with his parents on an Etihad Airways flight, EY-218. At 8.04pm, when he was exiting the aircraft, an Airbus-320, he fell through the gap on the side of the aerobridge. Sources said that the aerobridge may not have been properly attached to the aircraft or the door of the aircraft had not been opened properly. No airline staff was present to assist passengers.
Neerja Bhatia, country manager India and Sri Lanka, Etihad Airways, said: ‘‘We are working closely with the airport authority to establish the exact cause of the unfortunate incident. We are talking to the family and have offered our support.’’
The boy was rescued by the maintenance personnel of a private ground handling agency and rushed to the medical unit at IGI Airport. There were no external injury and he was discharged.
A CT scan of the boy revealed that he had a clot in his brain for which he required immediate surgery. The hospital confirmed to TOI that the boy had sustained the clot due to the accident and required neurosurgery.
28/12/08 Neha Lalchandani/Times of India

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Categories: Airports Dec 2008, Safety Dec 2008