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One person was killed, and more than 30 others were injured, after a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore encountered "severe turbulence," the airline said Tuesday.
A 73-year-old British man died in the incident, likely from a heart attack, Bangkok airport authorities told a press conference cited by Reuters news agency. Seven other critically injured people suffered head injuries, they added.
The Boeing 777-300 aircraft, which was carrying a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew members, was diverted to Bangkok, Thailand, where it landed at 3.45 p.m. local time, according to an airline statement.
"Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased," Singapore Airlines said. "Our priority is to provide all possible assistance to all passengers and crew on board the aircraft."
It added that it was working with the Thai local authorities to provide the necessary medical assistance.
Aircraft dropped 6,000 feet with just five minutes, data says
A passenger who spoke to the Reuters news agency said turbulence led to those not wearing seatbelts hitting overhead cabins.
According to data from FlightRadar 24 cited by Reuters news agency, around 11 hours into the flight, the aircraft dropped from an altitude of 37,000 feet to 31,000 feet (around 11,277 meters to 9448 meters) within just five minutes as it traversed the Andaman Sea near Thailand.
"Suddenly the aircraft starts tilting up and there was shaking so I started bracing for what was happening, and very suddenly there was a very dramatic drop so everyone seated and not wearing seat belt was launched immediately into the ceiling," Dzafran Azmir, a 28-year-old student on board the flight told Reuters.
Local emergency crews from Bangkok's Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital were dispatched to the airport to transfer injured people off the runway for treatment.
A spokesperson for Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport said that medical teams were on standby.
Singaporean government 'deeply saddened;' Boeing extends 'deepest condolences'
Singapore's Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said in a Facebook post that the Singaporean government would provide assistance to the passengers and their families.
"I am deeply saddened to learn about the incident onboard Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 from London Heathrow to Singapore," he wrote.
Boeing also extended "deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one" on the Singapore Airlines flight, and added that "our thoughts are with the passengers and crew."
One of the world's leading long-distance carriers, Singapore Airlines has not had a fatality happen on one of its flights since 2000, when a plane crashed on a runway during takeoff in Taiwan, killing 83 people.
mf/rmt (AP, AFP, Reuters)
