A person has died on a London-Singapore flight that experienced severe turbulence, Singapore Airlines reported on Tuesday. The plane reportedly plummeted for several minutes before being diverted to Bangkok, where emergency crews attended to injured passengers amid stormy weather conditions.
The Boeing 777-300ER, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members, landed in Bangkok at 3:45 p.m. (0845 GMT), according to a Facebook post by the airline.
Tracking data from FlightRadar24, analyzed by The Associated Press, showed the Singapore Airlines flight cruising at 37,000 feet (11,300 meters). Just after 0800 GMT, the Boeing 777 sharply descended to 31,000 feet (9,400 meters) over three minutes.
The plane remained at 31,000 feet for nearly 10 minutes before descending again and landing in Bangkok in under half an hour. This descent occurred over the Andaman Sea as the flight approached Myanmar.
Emergency crews from Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital, located about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Suvarnabhumi Airport, were present to transfer injured passengers from Flight SQ321 for treatment. Videos posted on the LINE messaging platform by Suvarnabhumi Airport showed a stream of ambulances arriving at the scene.
“Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the deceased’s family,” the airline stated. “We are working with the local authorities in Thailand to provide the necessary medical assistance and are sending a team to Bangkok to offer additional support.”
