2 Travelers Die Hours Apart at the Same Airport After Falling from a Balcony
Authorities do not believe the deaths are connected
Credit: Getty
NEED TO KNOW
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Two travelers, a woman from China and a man from Algeria, died at an airport on May 1
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They both died after falling from a balcony at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA)
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Officials said they suspect both deaths were “an attempt to commit suicide"
Two travelers died hours apart at the same airport.
A 27-year-old woman from China fell from the third floor of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA)'s second terminal at around 2:20 p.m. local time on Friday, May 1, in what officials suspect was “an attempt to commit suicide."
Hours later, a 30-year-old Algerian citizen jumped from the third level of the same terminal at around 9:10 p.m.
Authorities do not believe the deaths at the Malaysian airport are connected.
Credit: Getty
In the moments before the woman's fall, airport employees and security officers tried to calm her down. Police said she was crying and screaming before she fell backward into the loading area below.
Medical teams responded quickly and transported the woman to the Putrajaya Hospital. However, she later died there at around 5:09 p.m.
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The woman's death remains under investigation. Videos of the incident shared online show the woman sitting with her legs hanging over a ledge, before a security officer approaches her from behind.
She then appears to quickly look back at the guard, resists help, and falls from the third-floor balcony, as bystanders scream in horror.
Investigators confirmed that the woman was scheduled to fly back to China.
Credit: STR/AFP via Getty
As for the other deceased individual, KLIA Police said a witness saw the man “opening his backpack and running, jumping a barrier fence and then jumping from the scene of the incident.”
Authorities said the man's death was also a suspected suicide attempt. He was transported to Cyberjaya Hospital, but he died there the following day.
The Kuala Lumpur International Airport did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Saturday, May 2.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.
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