A 73-year-old British man passed away from a suspected heart attack due to “sudden extreme turbulence” on a London-Singapore flight on Tuesday.
As reported by Sky News, numerous individuals were injured as passengers recounted others being “thrown into the ceiling” and overhead lockers.
The flight, departing from London on Monday night, diverted to Bangkok and landed at 3.45pm local time on Tuesday.
Singapore Airlines mentioned that the pilot declared a medical emergency and landed in Bangkok after experiencing “sudden extreme turbulence over the Irrawaddy Basin at 37,000 feet about 10 hours after departure.”
A passenger, 28-year-old Dzafran Azmir, described the chaotic events onboard the aircraft.
He recalled, “The aircraft suddenly tilted up, shaking, so I braced myself for what was happening. Suddenly, there was a very dramatic drop, and everyone not wearing seatbelts was immediately thrown into the ceiling.”
Dzafran Azmir
Video Link Via Sky News; here
Another British passenger, Andrew Davies, informed Sky News that “anyone wearing a seatbelt wasn’t injured.”
Davies noted, "Every cabin crew member I saw was injured to some extent, with injuries like head lacerations... One crew member had a back injury and was visibly in pain."
The Head of Bangkok airport, Kittipong Kittikachorn, confirmed the British man’s death resulting from a potential cardiac arrest. Kittikachorn mentioned that the turbulence likely occurred during breakfast, attributing an “air pocket” as the cause.
“Seventy-one people required medical attention, with six of them sustaining severe injuries,” stated Bangkok’s Smitivej Srinakarin Hospital. However, Singapore Airlines disputed these figures, stating that only 30 individuals were taken to the hospital.
The UK Foreign Office relayed that they are “in touch with local authorities.”
Of the 211 passengers and 18 crew members on board the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, 47 were British citizens.