 "3 Indians among 229 onboard Singapore Airlines aircraft hit by extreme turbulence")
The Singapore flag carrier announced on Tuesday that among the 229 passengers on board the Singapore Airlines flight that experienced “sudden extreme turbulence” over the Irrawaddy Basin at 37,000 feet were at least three Indian nationals.
Over two dozen additional passengers were hurt in the terrifying incident, which saw the aircraft drop 6,000 feet in approximately three minutes and result in the death of a 73-year-old British man.
The unidentified British man “likely” passed away following a heart attack, according to Kittipong Kittikachorn, General Manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport.
After taking off on May 20, Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight SQ321 from London (Heathrow) to Singapore experienced “sudden extreme turbulence over the Irrawaddy Basin at 37,000 feet about 10 hours after departure,” according to the airline.
The airplane was redirected to Bangkok on May 21 after the pilot announced a medical emergency.
“We can confirm that there were multiple injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft,” the carrier said in a Facebook post.
Eighteen people had been admitted to hospitals. Twelve more were receiving care in hospitals. At Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport, the remaining passengers and crew were being inspected and, if needed, treated, according to Singapore Airlines.
It stated that there were 211 passengers and 18 crew members on board.
The following are the passengers’ nationalities: Australia accounted for 56, followed by Canada (2), Germany (1), India (3), Indonesia (2), Iceland (4), Ireland (1), Israel (1), Malaysia (16), Myanmar (2), New Zealand (23), the Philippines (5), Singapore (41), South Korea (1), Spain (2), the United Kingdom (47), and the United States of America (four).
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More ShortsInformation about the injured passengers, crew, and their nationalities has not been made public by authorities.
“Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. We deeply apologise for the traumatic experience that our passengers and crew members suffered on this flight.
“We are providing all necessary assistance during this difficult time. We are working with our colleagues and the local authorities in Thailand to provide the necessary assistance,” it said.
Due to significant turbulence, Singapore Airlines was operating a 16-year-old 777 aircraft on the SQ321 service.
A Singapore Airlines team is its route to Bangkok to offer any further support that may be required. In order to investigate this event, SIA is collaborating with the appropriate authorities.
According to Singapore Airlines, family members can contact the airline by phone at 65 6542 3311 in Singapore, 1800-845-313 in Australia, and 080-0066-8194 in the UK.
Lawrence Wong, the recently appointed prime minister of Singapore, sent his sympathies to “family members and loved ones of the deceased.”
“Unfortunately, we are marking Vesak Day this year with news of the incident on the SQ321 flight earlier today. We are all saddened and shocked by what happened,” he said in a Facebook post.
He added that Singapore is working closely with the Thai authorities and “doing everything we can to support the passengers and crew”.
“We pray for their safe return and smooth recovery for those who are injured. We are still getting more information from Bangkok and will provide further updates in due course,” he said.
US aircraft manufacturer Boeing extended its condolences to the family of the British man who died aboard SQ321, a Boeing 777-300ER.
“We are in contact with Singapore Airlines regarding flight SQ321 and stand ready to support them,” Boeing said on X.
With light and moderate turbulence passengers might feel a strain against their seatbelt, and unsecured items could move around the cabin. But in severe cases turbulence can throw passengers around the cabin, causing severe injuries and occasionally death,
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