Flight Attendant Dies After Plane Cabin Fills With Smoke: 'We Are Devastated'

Swiss Airlines says a flight attendant has died after the plane they were on filled with smoke.

The incident took place on flight LX 1885 on Dec. 23. The flight was headed from Bucharest to Zurich when it had to make an emergency diversion to Graz after engine problems sent smoke through the cockpit and cabin.

The airline says the employee died Monday in a hospital in Graz.

"We are devastated at our dear colleague's death," says SWISS CEO Jens Fehlinger. "His loss has left us all in the deepest shock and grief. Our thoughts are with his family, whose pain we cannot imagine."

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

"This is the saddest of days for us all," added Swiss Chief Operating Officer Oliver Buchhofer. "Losing our colleague and fellow member of our SWISS team leaves me distraught and dismayed. But we stand with one another at this truly difficult time."

The airline didn't release the identity of the employee who died but asked for the family's privacy to be respected.