An aspiring air hostess was allegedly stabbed to death by a 22-year-old man when she was on her way to a local market in east Delhi’s Shahdara, the Hindustan Times reported on Thursday. Onlookers waited for the police to arrive and take her to hospital.

The incident took place on Wednesday evening after the accused, Adil, had an altercation with the woman. He then stabbed her repeatedly and later fled the spot. The woman succumbed to her injuries on Thursday morning at GTB Hospital in Dilshad Garden, said the police.

The alleged attacker is absconding even as the police said that the CCTV footage of the assault confirmed his role. “People who witnessed the attack had waited for [the] police to reach the spot and shift her to a hospital,” said Nupur Prasad, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara). “Much time was lost in that and the girl also lost a lot of blood in the process.”

The attack took place in a narrow lane in Ram Nagar neighbourhood of Shahdara. Adil has earlier been booked in a vehicle theft case. According to Prasad, Adil and the woman were friends until a while ago.