A passenger who died aboard a British Airways flight was kept in a galley with a heated floor for 13 hours. The flyer, in her sixties, died around an hour into the journey from Hong Kong to Heathrow. But rather than turning around in the air, pilots chose to press ahead to London - a 13-and-a-half-hour trip. The deceased was placed in a galley area at the back of the Airbus A350. But as the plane approached its destination, passengers began raising concerns about an unpleasant smell coming from the back of the cabin. A source told The Sun of how crew had not realised the galley featured a heated floor, which contributed to the odour. Staff faced a difficult decision about how to handle the situation after the passenger's death. "Obviously the family with the woman were distraught, and so were the crew," the insider said. "Many wanted to return to Hong Kong. But, to put it bluntly, if a passenger has already died, that is not viewed as an emergency." Cockpit staff initially suggested securing the body inside a lavatory, but cabin crew rejected this. They then had to isolate the body, wrap it in "materials", and move it to a galley at the rear of the plane, the source added. Some crew members are said to have "overlooked" the heated floor, "and towards the end of the flight there were claims that a foul smell was present in that region". FLIGHT HORROR - READ MORE: Ryanair passenger refused £240 refund after 'phantom flight' landed 160 miles away Flight forced into emergency landing at Gatwick Airport after fire breaks out in cabin Jet2 passengers forced to look on in horror as flight leaves without them - 'like something out of Fawlty Towers!' Police were waiting on the tarmac when Flight BA32 touched down on Sunday. Up to 331 passengers aboard the aircraft were then told to remain seated for 45 minutes while officers conducted their inquiries. British Airways management provided support to all crew members following the incident. However, some staff have reportedly been unable to return to work due to the psychological impact of the experience. A source commended the crew's handling of the situation, noting that airlines lack a standardised procedure for dealing with passengers who die mid-flight. The airline confirmed it had not received any official complaints regarding the incident. A BA spokesman said: "All procedures were correctly followed." The airline added: "Our thoughts are with the woman's friends and family." Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter