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A Singapore Airlines flight faced severe turbulence over the Indian Ocean, causing the aircraft to descend 6,000 feet (around 1,800 meters) within three minutes. This incident resulted in the death of a British passenger and injuries to dozens of others, some critically, the airline confirmed on Tuesday.
An official at the airport stated that the 73-year-old British man possibly suffered a heart attack, although this has not been confirmed. His identity has not been disclosed yet.
The Boeing 777 was en route from London’s Heathrow Airport to Singapore, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members. Due to the turbulence and subsequent injuries, the flight was diverted and made an emergency landing in Bangkok amidst stormy weather.
British passenger Andrew Davies, in an interview with Sky News, mentioned that the seatbelt sign was illuminated, but the crew did not have enough time to secure themselves. “Every single cabin crew person I saw was injured in some way or another, maybe with a gash on their head,” Davies reported. “One had a bad back, who was in obvious pain.”
Kittipong Kittikachorn, the general manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport, informed during a news conference that the sudden descent happened while meals were being served. He reported seven passengers were severely injured, 23 passengers and nine crew members sustained moderate injuries. Sixteen individuals with less serious injuries were treated at the hospital, and 14 received care at the airport. He reiterated that the British man appeared to have had a heart attack, pending medical confirmation.
Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital later reported that 71 people were treated there, including six with severe injuries. The discrepancy in the number of injured was not clarified.
Singapore Airlines provided a breakdown of the passengers’ nationalities: 56 Australians, two Canadians, one German, three Indians, two Indonesians, one Icelander, four Irish, one Israeli, 16 Malaysians, two from Myanmar, 23 New Zealanders, five Filipinos, 41 from Singapore, one South Korean, two Spaniards, 47 from the United Kingdom, and four from the United States.
