THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Daniil Khandozhko, a Russian youth, died after falling from the third-floor of the Thiruvananthapuram international airport on Thursday night. Police suspect that it was a case of suicide, even as there were reports that it could be an accident. Police identified the deceased as Daniil Khandozhko of Kostomuksha in Moscow. He died on the eve of his 30th birthday, as per his passport. The incident also exposed a security lapse.
Daniil was about to board an Air India flight to Mumbai and was planning to travel to Finland. After security checks, he reached the security hold area (SHA) where passenger wait to board aircraft. The flight that was scheduled to leave by 8.10 p.m. was rescheduled to leave only by 11.45 p.m. owing to technical reasons. Airport sources said that Daniil was even seen performing yoga in the SHA, situiated on the second-floor.
Then he scaled the walls of a VIP lounge by climbing through the steeps bars used to errect glass walls. He was even uttering something in English and another language, possibly Russian. He even showed signs of mental instability. From top of the lounge he jumped to the customs area on the ground floor. Though he was rushed to nearby private hospital, he was pronounced dead.
Airport sources said that Daniil reached here on January 19 from Katmandu and was accompanied by another foreigner too. They were suspected to have gone to a leading Yoga ashram in the district. Hononary consul of Russia in Thiruvananthapuram, Mr. Rateesh C Nair said that efforts were on to get in touch with his family.
Meanwhile, sources in the airport said that the death of the Russian was also due to lapses on the part of the security personnel in spotting the suspicious movements of a passenger, that too when the airport was under high security alert owing to Republic day. The city police registered a case of unnatural death and started probe.
