Passenger dies after collapsing on UK flight as plane descends into panic

A man has died after collapsing on a Cathay Pacific flight from Manchester to Hong Kong. The 51-year-old lost consciousness around two hours before landing, with police receiving a report of the incident at around 6.15am on Friday, the Hong Kong Free Press reports.

Air traffic control at Hong Kong International Airport was alerted, as well as emergency services. Ambulances were dispatched to meet the plane upon landing, and paramedics boarded the aircraft at 6.53am to attempt resuscitation. Despite their best efforts, the man was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

A Cathay Pacific spokesperson told South China Morning Post that “the crew and a doctor on board had provided immediate first aid to the victim” and expressed condolences to his family.

The passenger has been identified by his surname, Shen, and anonymous sources told local outlet HK01 that he was an insurance broker who emigrated to the UK with his family.

His wife found him unresponsive roughly two hours before landing, after he’d been feeling unwell throughout the flight, and alerted cabin crew.

His cause of death has not yet been confirmed, and police said an autopsy would be conducted to determine it.