One person has died after severe turbulence during a passenger flight from London to Singapore. The Singapore Airlines plane had to make an unscheduled stopover in Bangkok.
A flight from London to Singapore left one dead after severe turbulence and, according to Thai media reports, dozens injured. The pilots of the Singapore Airlines plane then decided not to fly to Singapore but to land in the Thai capital Bangkok.
The fatality on board the plane that encountered turbulence over Southeast Asia was a 73-year-old man from Great Britain. He probably had a heart attack, the BBC quoted statements at a press conference at Bangkok airport.
Seven people are in critical condition, it said. A total of 53 passengers were injured, including the victim’s wife and a crew member, the BBC further reported, citing airport officials.
Airline expresses condolences to relatives
The airline wrote on Facebook: “Singapore Airlines extends its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.”
The airline also said it was working with local authorities in Thailand to provide medical assistance and that a team was on its way to Bangkok.
229 people on board
Flight SQ321 is a Boeing 777-300ER. According to the airline, there were 211 passengers and 18 crew members on board.
What exactly happened is still unclear. Flight data shows that the plane was at a cruising altitude of more than 11,000 meters until shortly before it reached the Thai mainland. Then the plane descended very quickly and headed for Bangkok airport.
An eyewitness told the Reuters news agency that the plane began to tilt sharply and then suddenly there was a drastic descent. Anyone who wasn’t wearing a seatbelt was thrown into the ceiling.