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By Citizen Reporter

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Abandoned foetus found onboard a plane at King Shaka International Airport

The airline says the foetus was found by its technical crew during the drainage of the plane's waste management system.


The King Shaka International Airport South African Police Service (SAPS) is investigating a case of concealment of birth after a foetus was found onboard a plane at the Durban airport.

KwaZulu-Natal SAPS spokesperson, Colonel Thembeka Mbele said the foetus was found on Friday morning.

The plane in which the foetus was found in belongs to FlySafair. The airline issued a statement to confirm the “tragic” find onboard one of its aeroplanes.

“Flight FA 411 was scheduled to depart Durban for Johannesburg at 6.15 am. Upon final preparations of the waste management system for the departure of flight, our technical crew discovered what appeared to be an abandoned foetus within the system.

“Immediately the teams alerted the relevant authorities to initiate investigations.

“Unfortunately, this has resulted in a delay to flight FA411 as passengers were asked to disembark the aircraft while FlySafair initiated procedures to recover their onward journey.

“Beyond this, we are unable to comment on any specifics relating to the finding which is now a police matter. The South African Police Service would be better poised to provide any further information.

“We will be doing everything within our power to aid authorities in the necessary investigations and thank our loyal customers for their patience with the resultant delay,” the airline’s head of sales and distribution Kirby Gordon said in the statement.

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu)

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