Tougaloo College grad killed during ‘belt loader entanglement’ at New Orleans airport

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - A graduate of Tougaloo College was killed Tuesday in a “belt loader entanglement” at the New Orleans Airport.

According to the Director of Communications for Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport, Jermani Thompson, 26, was injured on the apron, an area where aircraft are parked, loaded, unloaded, refueled, boarded, and maintained.

Jermani Thompson, 26, was tragically killed when her hair became entangled in a belt loader... — Jermani Thompson, 26, was tragically killed when her hair became entangled in a belt loader while offloading bags from a plane at the New Orleans airport on Tuesday (Aug. 30).(Facebook)

A spokesperson for GAT Airline Ground Support, where Thompson was employed, says she was working to offload a plane that had landed. They say her hair got tangled in a belt loader.

Thompson was transported to a hospital where she died.

In a statement Thursday, Tougaloo College extended their “deepest sympathies to the family, the Class of 2019, friends, and the College community as we mourn the loss of a spirited, caring, and thoughtful, scholar, athlete, and alumna.”

The college also asked God to provide Thompson’s family with peace and strength “to rely on each other during these difficult times and, more importantly, to rely on God,” they continued. “Proverbs 18:10 tells us, ‘The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.’”

A Message From the President - Passing of Jermani by Josh Carter on Scribd

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