According to a friend, Kaur was travelling to India to see her parents for the first time since she moved to Australia in March 2020.
The friend said Kaur fell on the floor and “died on the spot” when she went to put on her seatbelt.
The plane was still attached to the gate in Melbourne when cabin crew and emergency services rushed to help her.
“When she got on the plane, she was struggling to put her seatbelt on,” her friend Gurdip Grewal told the Herald Sun newspaper.
“Just before her flight started, she fell in front of her seat and died on the spot.” It is understood that Kaur likely died of tuberculosis, an infectious disease that mostly affects the lungs. Her roommate Kuldeep said Kaur had worked at Australia Post while studying cookery, with dreams of one day becoming a chef.
“She was kind and honest,” she told the outlet.
“She loved to travel with her friends around Victoria.”
A GoFundMe page has been created for Kaur to help her family.
“Our dear friend Manpreet left us too soon, leaving a void in our lives that can never be filled,” the page reads.
“As we grieve her passing, we want to come together to honour her memory and support her family in their time of need.
“As we say our final goodbyes, every contribution, big or small, brings us closer to our goal. Your support means the world to us and Manpreet’s family.”
A Qantas spokesperson told news.com.au portal that their “thoughts are with her family and loved ones”.
