MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

ITA Airways flight makes emergency landing in Montevideo due to passenger's death

The flight crew called for any medical professionals among the passengers, and appropriate resuscitation measures were taken. Unfortunately, the passenger could not be revived

An ITA Airways flight traveling from Rome to Buenos Aires had to make an emergency landing at Carrasco Airport in Montevideo this morning following the death of a passenger, according to airport sources.

The approximately 70-year-old man became ill when the aircraft was already over Uruguayan territory, and there was less than an hour left before landing at Ezeiza, scheduled for 8:40.

Flight AZ680 departed from Fiumicino Airport in Rome last night at 22:49, and everything was proceeding normally until the passenger fell ill, presumably due to a cardiac incident, according to initial assessments.

The flight crew called for any medical professionals among the passengers, and appropriate resuscitation measures were taken. Unfortunately, the passenger could not be revived.

The aircraft's commander decided to request an emergency landing in Montevideo, touching down at 8:40 today.

Uruguay's National Air Police intervened in the case, and the plane remained at the airport for three hours during forensic investigations.

Once the necessary procedures were completed, the aircraft was released by judicial and airport authorities of the neighboring country, taking off at 11:56 for Buenos Aires and landing at Ezeiza at 12:15.

ITA, scheduled to return to Rome at 13:45 with flight AZ681, experienced a delay due to the incident, eventually taking off at 15:10, as reported by Aeropuertos Argentina 2000.

(Source: Télam)