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British man plunges to death at Turkish airport in front of UK holidaymakers
Turkish police are investigating an incident at Dalaman airport in which a British man fell to his death in front of passengers boarding a flight to the UK.
Andrew Paul Westlake, aged 30, is alleged to have fallen 15-feet after being removed from a plane where he had got into a row with cabin crew.
However, some British passengers writing on social media claimed the man had jumped. One claimed he had throw himself from a second floor balcony balcony in front of his six-year-old daughter.
He was knocked unconscious and paramedics took him to a private hospital nearby where he later died from his injuries, which are believed to include broken ribs.
The man is known to have spent three days wandering Dalaman airport after losing his ticket. After he boarded another flight at 3am on Monday, the captain allegedly ordered for him to be removed due to safety concerns when he got into a row with members of the cabin crew.
Some newspapers reported that he accidentally fell through a staff door on the jetty between the aircraft and the airport as he was escorted from the plane, but at least one passenger claimed he committed suicide. One said he jumped from a second floor balcony inside Terminal 3 onto a marble floor.
The Foreign Office said it is supporting the deceased’s family and it has been in touch with local authorities in Turkey.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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