A young mum-to-be collapsed and died at a Spanish airport as she waited to fly back home to Birmingham.
The 21-year-old was reported to have been about four months pregnant when the tragedy happened at Costa Brava’s Girona Airport on Tuesday.
Her death sparked controversy in Spain because the airport closed its on-site medical centre a year ago because of “lack of use” by passengers.
The victim was said to have spent four days on the Costa Brava with relatives celebrating her grandmother’s 70th birthday.
She was in a lift travelling down from the terminal building to the runway level when, according to reports, she started to feel dizzy, vomited and then collapsed.
An ambulance was called, but she was reportedly dead by the time it arrived.
The airport’s main union, UGT, said the on-site 24-hour medical centre closed last July.
There was also a dispute over how long the ambulance took to arrive. The airport said it was just 14 minutes but the UGT claimed it was 20 to 25 minutes.
Spanish press said the woman’s family called relatives waiting for them at Birmingham Airport to tell them of the tragedy.
Spain’s police force, the Civil Guard, has now taken over the investigation and the woman’s body has been moved to the Institute of Legal Medicine of Girona.
A post mortem examination was due to be carried out yesterday.
Her devastated relatives were staying at an airport hotel until they were granted permission to bring back her body to Birmingham.
The medical centre was reportedly closed due to “a sharp drop in passenger volume”
The main union operating at the airport is now considering an investigation into the woman’s death.
Its secretary general of transport, Joan Muntada, told Spanish newspapers it needed to find out if her death could have been avoided if she had received medical attention sooner.
Do you know the dead woman? Call the Mail newsdesk on 0121 234 5430.
