Zambian dies on Ethiopian Airlines plane enroute Ndola

A sixty-nine-year old Zambian man of Kitwe District, Copperbelt Province, has died on an Ethiopian Airlines plane while traveling from Chicago, USA, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Ndola.

The deceased, identified as Joseph Phiri, had traveled to the USA for further medical treatment arranged by his son based in Chicago.

First Secretary for Press and Tourism in Ethiopia, Iñutu Mwanza, confirmed the death of Mr Phiri in a statement issued in Addis Ababa on Wednesday.

According to the deceased man’s wife, Mrs. Ruth Phiri, the husband had been unwell for a while now, and his situation worsened on July 18, 2023 on their way from Chicago via Addis Ababa to Ndola.

Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union, Rose Sakala, confirmed the death of Phiri and indicated that the body has since been deposited to St. Paul’s Millenium Hospital.

The Ambassador said that a postmortem was expected to take place on July 19th while arrangements to transport the body to Ndola were already underway.

“The Mission and the family are working hand in hand to ensure that all required procedures are undertaken in Ethiopia without much delay,” she said.

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