Mumbai: Seven passengers fell ill due to decompression symptoms, with one requiring hospitalisation.
Flight ET640, en route from Addis Ababa to Mumbai, experienced a serious pressurisation issue while cruising at 33,000 feet over the Arabian Sea. According to flight tracking data from Flightradar24, the pilots executed a rapid descent to a safer altitude after the cabin pressure dropped abruptly.
The aircraft, bearing registration ET-AXS, landed safely at 1:42am in Mumbai at CSMIA, where medical teams were on standby. “Seven passengers were treated by airport medical staff for symptoms related to decompression. One was later hospitalised for further care,” a source confirmed.
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Cabin depressurisation is a rare but serious event that occurs when the aircraft’s internal pressure system fails, causing oxygen levels to plummet. In such cases, oxygen masks automatically deploy to support passenger breathing until a safe altitude is reached.
The incident comes on the heels of another troubling episode involving an Air India Boeing 777 flight from Heathrow to Mumbai on June 23, where 11 individuals — including six crew members — reported dizziness and nausea mid-flight. Investigations into that case are ongoing.
The back-to-back health scares on international flights have raised concerns about cabin safety and maintenance checks, particularly on long-haul routes.
