Man found dead in plane's lavatory

Manila: A Filipino returning from overseas work was found dead inside the lavatory of a Gulf Air flight shortly before the aircraft was about to land in Manila following a flight from Manama, Bahrain.

Marlon Cueva, 36, of Lubang Island, Mindoro Occidental was found dead by the flight crew after the flight staff became worried when he failed to return to his seat, various reports said.

A report by Radyo Inquirer quoted Pasay City police chief Senior Superintendent Napoleon Cuaton as saying that Cueva was found inside the lavatory at around 11.20am hanging by a rope, shortly after Gulf Air flight GF 154 from Bahrain landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminal.

Other reports said Cueva had apparently committed suicide before the aircraft was about to land in Manila. Cueva was employed in Dubai as a power plant technician and was returning to the Philippines.

Repeated calls

Flight GF 154 was several minutes away from landing in Manila when a flight attendant became worried about Cueva not returning to his seat despite repeated calls from the crew as the aircraft was about to land.

The flight attendants used a special mechanism to open the door and found Cueva dead. The discovery of Cueva's body caused some commotion as the flight crew asked if there were any doctors aboard the aircraft. After no one answered the call, one of the stewardesses tried to revive the overseas Filipino worker through mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to no avail.

A general manager at the airport, Octavio Villalina said Cueva had apparently committed suicide.