Woman hits head, dies at OR Tambo

2011-08-18 11:22

Lauren Hess, News24

Cape Town - A woman died at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Thursday morning after apparently hitting her head and having a heart attack while rushing to catch a flight to Port Elizabeth.

Comedian Rob van Vuuren tweeted that the “woman was rushing to catch her flight, fell, hit her head, had a heart-attack and is now dead”.

He later tweeted: “It took them (airport officials) 20 minutes to find any kind of first aid here at the airport and 40min for the paramedics to arrive.”

He added there was a “devastated” man standing next to the woman’s body.

Little information

Attempts by News24 to reach the Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) on Thursday morning were largely unsuccessful.

OR Tambo International Airport spokesperson Unathi Batyashe-Fillis confirmed the incident, but did not have details about it.

A woman who answered the phone at the airport's medical service line also confirmed that a woman died on the premises, but did not have further details.

She then referred News24 to another person who directed enquiries to the airport’s police service.

None of the police officers at OR Tambo International Airport’s police service either knew about the incident or could speak about it.

One referred News24 to Gauteng provincial police spokesperson Vish Naidoo who directed queries to Captain Dennis Adriao, who said he did not have details of the incident, and referred News24 back to Acsa.

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