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An elderly woman has died in Canberra, reportedly going into respiratory distress after disembarking from a plane to the tarmac, thick with smoke from the bushfires.

The New Daily said tonight the Canberra woman was on a Qantas flight arriving from Brisbane.

She was reportedly alive after leaving the plane, but became distressed shortly afterwards. ACT police and ambulance attended the scene.

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Breaking: A woman has died after exposure to bushfire smoke smothering Canberra airport this afternoon after exiting a Qantas plane @TheNewDailyAu has confirmed death with police. Relatives believe respiratory distress involved https://t.co/QGU8GJKbyF — 𝕤𝕒𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕙𝕒 𝕞𝕒𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕟 (@samanthamaiden) January 2, 2020

“ACT Policing was called to the Canberra Airport following the unsuspicious death of a woman at around 4.15pm today,” a spokeswoman told The New Daily. “A report will be prepared for the coroner.”

A Qantas spokesperson told news.com.au: “Qantas (has) not received any reports of passengers being unwell during the flight and that all passengers had disembarked the aircraft normally.”

Due to the South Coast bushfires, evacuees are heading to Canberra which will see an increase of cars on ACT roads. Please obey the road rules, drive to the conditions, take regular breaks, and be patient and alert. Let’s work together as a community to ensure everyone is safe. — ACT Policing (@ACTPolicing) January 2, 2020

The nation’s capital has suffered another day blanketed by thick smoke and currently has worse air quality than Delhi, Mumbai and Beijing.