A 73-year-old British man has died and his wife is among dozens of passengers who were injured when a plane from London to Singapore suffered extreme turbulence and plunged 6,000ft in a matter of seconds.
Geoffrey Ralph Kitchen, who reportedly had a pre-existing heart issue, was on board the Singapore Airlines flight with his wife when he was killed. His wife was injured and is being treated in hospital. Seven passengers remain in critical condition in hospital, while another 23 people suffered injuries not considered severe.
The Boeing 777 plane left the UK on Monday evening at 22:17 local time. However, flight SQ321 reportedly experienced severe turbulence while entering airspace in the region, which is currently experiencing extreme tropical thunderstorms.
Data collected from Flightradar showed how the plane suddenly dropped an incredible 6,000ft as it approached the coast of Thailand. Thai officials say people were putting on their seatbelts when the turbulence hit.
Ambulances were pictured on the tarmac next to the plane. Local media reported that one passenger had died and around 20 others were injured, leading to the emergency landing.
Four Irish citizens were on flight
Four Irish people were on board a Singapore Airlines flight from London in which one person died and many others were injured when the plane hit severe turbulence.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that four Irish citizens were on the flight, but it is not yet known whether they were among the many injured people.
A department spokeswoman said: “We are aware that four Irish citizens were on board.
“The Embassy is in close contact with the relevant Thai authorities and stands ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance.”
Passenger tells of ‘awful screaming’ on flight
A passenger on the Singapore Airlines flight which was hit by severe turbulence has told of “awful screaming” on the plane.
Another said everyone not wearing a seatbelt was “launched immediately into the ceiling” when the turbulence occurred. A British passenger died and many other people were injured when the flight from Heathrow encountered severe turbulence.
Andrew Davies told BBC Radio 5 Live that the plane “suddenly dropped” with “very little warning”, adding: “The thing I remember the most is seeing objects and things flying through the air.
“I was covered in coffee. It was incredibly severe turbulence. During the few seconds of the plane dropping there was an awful screaming and what sounded like a thud.”
Sudden descent happened during food service
Kittipong Kittikachorn, general manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, told a news conference that the sudden descent occurred as passengers were being served food.
He said seven passengers were severely injured, and 23 passengers and nine crew members had moderate injuries. Sixteen with less serious injuries received hospital treatment and 14 were treated at the airport. He said the British man appeared to have had a heart attack but medical authorities would need to confirm that.
A later statement from Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital said 71 people had been treated there, including six who were severely injured. No explanation of the discrepancy was available.
Passenger recalls ‘very dramatic drop’ during turbulence
Dzafran Azmir, who was on the flight, said there was “a very dramatic drop” with people being “launched into the ceiling”.
The 28-year-old student said: “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 a seatbelt was launched immediately into the ceiling.
“Some people hit their heads on the baggage cabins overhead and dented it, they hit the places where lights and masks are and broke straight through it.”
The cabin after the incident (
ViralPress)
Investigation ongoing
Singapore Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat also extended condolences on his Facebook page. He said that his ministry and Singapore’s Foreign Ministry, as well as the country’s Civil Aviation Authority and Changi Airport officials, along with airline staff, “are providing support to the affected passengers and their families.”
The Transport Safety Investigation Bureau of the ministry said that it’s investigating the incident and is in touch with its Thai counterpart and will be deploying investigators to Bangkok.
