Sources: 
An eight-day-old infant named
Leshna tragically died mid-flight on an Air Mauritius flight from Mauritius to Chennai on Monday evening. The baby was being transported for urgent cardiac treatment at a private hospital in Nandambakkam.
Accompanied by her parents,
Monish Kumar (37) and
Pooja (32), and a medical assistant, the family was aboard a flight carrying 320 passengers when the infant's condition suddenly deteriorated.
Flight attendants promptly alerted the pilot, who contacted Air Traffic Control in Chennai to have emergency medical services on standby upon landing. Despite these efforts, the baby was declared dead by the airport medical team after the flight landed around 6 pm.
Chennai airport police were immediately notified and took custody of the infant's body. The child was transported to Egmore Hospital for a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death.
"The infant, Leshna, born on May 26 in Mauritius, was being brought for specialised cardiac care," sources said.
This tragic incident highlights the challenges of transporting critically ill infants internationally and the urgent need for specialized medical support during such flights.
"Flight attendants alerted the pilot, who immediately contacted Air Traffic Control (ATC) in Chennai, requesting that emergency medical services be kept on standby," officials confirmed.
The investigation and post-mortem results are awaited to provide further clarity on the cause of death.
The incident has deeply saddened the family and raised concerns about medical evacuation protocols for vulnerable patients during air travel.
Sources: An eight-day-old infant named Leshna died mid-flight on an Air Mauritius flight from Mauritius to Chennai while en route for urgent heart treatment. Despite emergency medical efforts upon landing, the baby was declared dead. Chennai police have taken custody of the body for post-mortem examination.
