A Singapore Airlines flight from London made an emergency landing in Bangkok on Tuesday due to severe turbulence, the airline said, with one passenger on board dead and injuries reported. Singapore Airlines did not say how many people were injured. Multiple Thai media reports said there were 30 injuries. Later, the Thailand authorities confirmed that the passenger who died on the ill-fated flight was a 73-year-old British national.
3 Indians among passengers aboard Singapore Airlines
There were at least three Indian nationals among the 229 people aboard the Singapore Airlines flight that encountered a "sudden extreme turbulence" over the Irrawaddy Basin at 37,000 feet, the flag carrier of Singapore said.
Suvarnabhumi Airport general manager Kittipong Kittikachorn told a press conference a 73-year-old British man died during the incident, likely due to a heart attack, while head injuries were sustained among seven people critically injured. One crew member was hospitalised, he said.
The Boeing 777-300ER plane with 211 passengers and 18 crew was headed to Singapore when it made the emergency landing, the airline said in a statement. "Singapore Airlines flight #SQ321, operating from London (Heathrow) to Singapore on 20 May 2024, encountered severe turbulence en-route. The aircraft diverted to Bangkok and landed at 1545hrs local time on 21 May 2024," the airlines said in a message on the social media platform.
"We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER. Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased," it added.
A spokesperson for Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport said that the medical team was on standby. "Our priority is to provide all possible assistance to all passengers and crew on board the aircraft," the airline said. "We are working with the local authorities in Thailand to provide the necessary medical assistance."
At least 83 passengers were killed in 2000
It is worth mentioning that the last Singapore Airlines fatalities were in October 2000 when a plane crashed on a closed runway during takeoff in Taiwan and 83 people died. Singapore Airlines has had 7 accidents according to records by the Aviation Safety Network.
Thai immigration police said that medical personnel have boarded the plane to assess injuries, but cannot confirm the number and some uninjured passengers were deplaned.
This is a developing story. More details will be added.
Also Read: Singapore Airlines SQ321 cruising at 37k ft over Andaman Sea, suddenly it descends to 31k ft. What went wrong?
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