A Swiss flight attendant has died a week after smoke forced the plane to make an emergency landing

A flight attendant died on board a Swiss plane that made an emergency landing in Austria due to smoke in the plane’s cabin, the airline said Tuesday.

A flight from Bucharest to Zurich on December 23 was diverted to Graz after engine problems and smoke filled the cockpit and cabin, Swiss International Airlines said in a statement. statement.

She added that the injured person died on Monday in intensive care at Graz Hospital. The attendant was one of two crew members taken to hospital. Swiss said that all 74 passengers on board the Airbus A220-300 were evacuated after flight LX1885 landed safely.

“We are shocked by the death of our dear colleague,” Swiss CEO Jens Fehlinger said in the statement. “His loss has left us all in a state of profound shock and sadness. Our thoughts are with his family, whose pain we cannot imagine. I offer them my heartfelt condolences on behalf of all of us at Suez.”

Swiss is a subsidiary of the German airline Lufthansa.

“Out of respect for their loved ones, we will not provide detailed information about our employee or the cause of death,” Swiss said in its statement.

“Thank you in advance for helping us ensure the family has the time and privacy to grieve,” the airline added.

Agence France-Presse reported that 12 passengers received medical care after the accident. The airline said on Tuesday that all passengers who were hospitalized have since been able to leave.

The Austrian News Agency (APA) reported that the Graz Public Prosecutor’s Office had ordered a forensic examination of the companion’s body. It also appointed an aviation expert and began investigating the cause of the accident.

Following the incident, the Swiss company said it was also conducting an internal examination.

“We want to fully explain the causes of the smoke and its impact on passengers and crew,” the airline wrote on Thursday. “The focus is on the mechanical parts of the aircraft, such as the engine, but also on the use of protective equipment for the cabin crew, known as protective breathing equipment.”

The airline said the initial results “point to a technical problem with one of the engines,” adding that it “is not ruling anything out and is working closely with the relevant authorities, engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney and aircraft manufacturer Airbus.”

“This is the saddest day for all of us,” Swiss Chief Operating Officer Oliver Bochofer said in an interview. statement. “The loss of our colleague and fellow member of our Swiss team leaves me in a state of shock and dismay. But we stand with each other in this truly difficult time; we will do our best, together with the relevant authorities, to determine the causes involved. We have many questions and want them answered.”