UK: Indian-origin nurse who took prank call about Prince William’s wife Kate found dead

Mangalore Today/ ITV

London, Dec 7:  An Indian-origin nurse Jacintha Saldanha, who took a prank call at the London hospital that was treating Prince William’s pregnant wife Kate Middleton for morning sickness, has been found dead. The death comes days after the King Edward VII hospital apologised after falling for the call from an Australian radio station and relaying details about Kate’s condition.

William and Kate, who left the hospital on Thursday, said they were "deeply saddened" by the death.

Two presenters from Australia’s 2Day radio station called the hospital early on Tuesday British time, pretending to be William’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth and his father, the heir-to-the throne Prince Charles.

 

 

Presenters Michael Christian and Mel Greig were put through to the ward where Kate was being treated and were given details about how she was faring. The hospital issued a statement after the prank was revealed saying it deeply regretted the incident and said it was reviewing its "telephone protocols".

The prank call and its tragic aftermath comes as Britain’s own scandal-hungry press scrambles to agree a new system of self regulation following a damning inquiry into their reporting practices.

A recording of the call was widely available on the Internet and many newspapers printed a transcript of the call. The Australian radio station had previously apologised for the call, saying it was done with the "best intentions".

But some people leaving comments on the station’s website had been unimpressed.

Facebook tribute pages swiftly set up after the nurse’s death attracted messages of sympathy, some calling for the radio station to pay compensation to her family and others for the presenters to resign.