30 individuals injured, 7 thoroughly, after Singapore Airlines trip encounters ‘ serious turbulence’ over Thailand
One man was killed and seven people were critically injured when a Singapore Airlines flight made an emergency landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Tuesday, according to a top airport established, after it had fallen into an atmosphere bag in Thai aircraft prior to the incident.
A 73- yr- old English man died during the incident, possible due to a heart attack, while head injuries were sustained among seven people thoroughly injured, said Suvarnabhumi public manager Kittipong Kittikachorn. One staff member was admitted to doctor, he added.
The aircraft “looks cool from the outside but inside it’s a clutter”, he said.
Flight SQ321 was en route from London to Singapore when it encountered” severe turbulence”, said Singapore Airlines ( SIA ).
” We can ensure that one mortality and accidents have occurred on board the Boeing 777-300ER. In a statement posted on the airline’s Facebook page, there were 211 travellers and 18 staff members.
In an release posted at 7.50pm the ship said:” 18 people have been hospitalised. Another 12 are being treated in clinics. The remaining passengers and crew are being examined and given therapy, where needed, at Suvarnabhumi International Airport”.
The release did not specify the cultures and injuries of the hospitalized patients.
According to Flight Understanding information, Flight SQ321 departed London Heathrow at 10.38pm native time on Monday and landed at Bangkok’s major international airport at 3.45pm.
Suvarnabhumi’s operator, Airports of Thailand, announced that it had implemented its emergency protocol after the pilot of the SIA plane requested it.
According to local media reports, more than 10 ambulances were dispatched to Samitivej Hospital to transport passengers who were injured from the airport.
Data on Flight Radar 24, a website that compiles public information about flights, appears to show that about 11 hours after it departed London, the plane went from cruising at 37, 000 feet to roughly 31, 000 feet in only a few minutes.
Little warning
According to passenger Dzafran Azmir, there was little warning of the chaos that was about to break out onboard.
The Malaysian student had the impression that the plane was tilting upwards and beginning to shake with about three hours left to travel from London to Singapore.
The 28-year-old checked that he had his seatbelt on and braced himself. He did. Many of the other passengers did not, he told Reuters.
” Suddenly there was a very dramatic drop, and everyone seated and without a seatbelt was immediately launched into the ceiling,” Azmir said.” Some people hit their heads on the baggage cabins overhead and dented it, they hit the areas where lights and masks are and broke straight through it.”
” People dropped to the ground, my phone flew out of my hand and went a couple of aisles to the side, people’s shoes flung about”, he added.
Because we discovered people lying flat and unable to get up, the crew and the people inside the restrooms were the most hurt. There were a lot of spinal and head injuries”, Azmir said.
The captain informed the passengers that Bangkok would be a disaster landing.
Nurses and rescue personnel checked on the injured after the plane reached the tarmac. ” I do n’t think they anticipated how bad it was”, Azmir said.
Later, when ambulances arrived, Azmir claimed to have witnessed at least eight stretchers being pulled out of the emergency exits. It took 90 minutes to evacuate the plane, he said.
Fatalities are extremely rare in incidents of turbulence, especially at cruising altitudes. The details of the accident have not yet been released by the airline. Carriers frequently advise passengers to keep their seat belts fastened even when the seat belt indicator is off, because unexpected turbulence might occur.
Singapore Airlines extends its deepest condolences to the deceased’s family. We sincerely apologize for the traumatizing encounter that our passengers and crew members had on this flight. We are assisting everyone as needed during this challenging time,” the airline said.
” We are collaborating with our colleagues and the Thai government to provide the necessary assistance. A team from Singapore Airlines is headed to Bangkok to assist with any additional needs.
The aircraft operating flight SQ321 was 16 years old, and is one 23 Boeing 777- 300ER jets in the SIA fleet.
The last time Singapore Airlines had a fatal accident happened was in Taiwan in October 2000, when a plane crashed on a closed runway and left 83 people dead.
According to records released by the Aviation Safety Network, the carrier has had seven accidents in its history.
The airline has set up a hotline for relatives seeking information at 65- 6542- 3311.
After making an emergency landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Tuesday, the interior of the Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER is visible. ( Photo: Stringer via Reuters )
After making an emergency landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Samut Prakan on Tuesday afternoon, a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER is parked next to it.