A passenger from Ireland was among those admitted to Bangkok Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital after turbulence caused 71 injuries and a fatality on flight SQ321 from London to Singapore.
The incident forced an emergency landing in Bangkok and caused significant cabin damage, including smashed overhead compartments and strewn items.
The turbulence occurred about 10 hours into the flight during meal service, leaving a 73-year-old British man named Geoff Kitchen deceased from a suspected heart condition.
The flight, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew, diverted to Bangkok where it landed at 3:45 p.m. local time. Emergency responders evacuated injured passengers, with nearly 200 travellers waiting for onward flights. A subsequent aircraft took 131 passengers to Singapore.
Data from aviation tracking site FlightRadar24 shows the flight suddenly dipping then rapidly climbing before dipping and climbing again and then finally settling back at its cruising altitude. The entire disruption took about 90 seconds before turbulence settled. This event likely stemmed from rapidly developing thunderstorms over southern Myanmar, typical for the region’s southwest monsoon season, with fast-forming storm cells causing unexpected turbulence.
Video shows a passenger being carried over the seats and then from the aircraft on a stretcher by emergency responders.
A statement from the airline said the aircraft, “encountered sudden extreme turbulence over the Irrawaddy Basin, a river in Myanmar, at 37,000 feet, about 10 hours after departure.”
CEO fo Singapore Airlines Goh Choon Phong said the airline was “very sorry for the traumatic experience” for those onboard flight SQ321 from London to Singapore.“
