Iranian man whose experience inspired Spielberg's "The Terminal" dies in Paris airport

An Iranian man who lived for 18 years in Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport, and whose saga loosely inspired the Steven Spielberg film "The Terminal," died Saturday in the airport that he long called home, officials said.

Mehran Karimi Nasseri died after a heart attack in the airport's Terminal 2F around midday, according an official with the Paris airport authority. Police and a medical team treated him but were not able to save him, the official said. The official was not authorized to be publicly named.

Nasseri lived in the airport's Terminal 1 from 1988 until 2006, first in legal limbo because he lacked residency papers and later by apparent choice.