- author, Joel Kinto
- stock, BBC News
- Report from Singapore
-
A 73-year-old British man has died and more than 30 others have been injured after a Singapore Airlines flight from London was hit by severe turbulence.
The Singapore-bound Boeing 777-300ER was diverted to Bangkok and made an emergency landing at 15:45 local time (08:45 GMT).
Passengers reported that the plane pitched down suddenly, throwing people and objects around the cabin.
Singapore Airlines said there were 211 passengers and 18 crew members on board. Deepest condolences to the families of the deceased, whose names have not been released yet.
Officials in Bangkok say the man may have died of a heart attack. His wife has been hospitalized, but her condition is unknown.
« I was drowning in coffee, » Andrew, from London, told BBC Radio 5 Live. « Seconds after the plane went down, there was a terrible scream and what sounded like a thud. »
Once the chaos cleared, he said he was able to help a woman who was « screaming in agony » with a « head injury ».
Passengers are being accommodated in a special section of the airport in Bangkok, Andrew said. « I will come on another flight, these are very rare events, » he said.
Another passenger told Reuters news agency that the plane suddenly « leaned up and shook ».
« So I started to see what was going on and all of a sudden there was a very dramatic drop so that everyone who was sitting and not wearing a seatbelt was immediately thrown into the ceiling, » said 28-year-old student Dzafran Azmir.
« Some hit the top of the baggage cabins head on, dented it, hit the lights and hoods and broke it straight. »
Alison Barker described receiving a message from her son Josh: « I don't want to scare you, but I'm on a crazy plane. The plane is making an emergency landing… I love you all. »
He was going to Bali. After the news, it was a « terrible » two hours before Alison heard from him again.
« One minute he was sitting with his seat belt on and the next minute, he must have blacked out because he was on the ground with other people, » he told the BBC.
Josh, she said, suffered minor injuries — but she worries that the near-death experience will have a lasting effect on him.
The airline said 31 people on board were taken to hospital.
The remaining passengers and crew are being screened and treated at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok.
The statement added that the airline is working with Thai authorities to provide medical assistance to the passengers and will send a team to Bangkok to provide additional assistance as needed.
Thai authorities have dispatched ambulances and emergency teams to Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Singapore's Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said the government would help passengers and their families.
« I am deeply saddened to learn of the incident on Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 from London Heathrow to Singapore, » he posted in a statement on Facebook.
It is still unclear how the events unfolded. Turbulence is usually caused by aircraft flying through cloud, but there is also « clear air » turbulence that is not visible on jet weather radar.
« Injuries from severe turbulence are relatively rare in an environment where millions of aircraft are operated, » aviation expert John Strickland told the BBC.
« However, severe turbulence can lead to dramatic and serious injuries or, unfortunately in this case, a death. »
Flight crews are also trained on how to respond to turbulence, he said.
« It's not unreasonable for airlines to recommend that seat belts be fastened loosely throughout a flight, whether it's long or short, » he added.
Research shows that climate change will create severe turbulence in the future.
Have you been on a plane? Please share your experiences.
