At least one Brit has died and several other passengers have been injured after a plane from London experienced severe turbulence at around 37,000ft.
Several of the 211 passengers and 18 crew members on the Boeing 777, operated by Singapore Airlines, have suffered injuries following the rapid plunge amid stormy weather. The plane made an emergency landing at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, and images taken there show emergency services swarm the jet. There, Geoffrey Ralph Kitchen, 73 and from Thornbury, Gloucestershire, was declared dead.
The jet had left London Heathrow last night destined for Singapore Changi Airport. It experienced the severe turbulence while entering airspace in the region, which is currently experiencing extreme tropical thunderstorms. Images show food and debris strewn on the floor of the aircraft following the disruption.
The general manager of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, where the plane made the emergency landing, said the 73-year-old British man may have suffered a heart attack on board. No further detail about the passenger, such as where in the UK he was from, was confirmed at the briefing.
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At least one person has died (X)
There were 211 passengers onboard the flight (X)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. In addition to the 211 passengers on board, there were 18 crew members.
During the journey, the Boeing reached an altitude of around 37,000ft (11,277metres), data shared by aviation website FlightRadar24 shows.
The flight reportedly dropped 6,000ft within minutes (X)A spokesperson for the airline said: "Singapore Airlines flight #SQ321, operating from London (Heathrow) to Singapore on 21 May 2024, encountered severe turbulence en-route. The aircraft diverted to Bangkok and landed at 1545hrs local time.
"We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER. There were a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew on board.
The turbulence was so severe food and other items were thrown onto the floor of the plane amid the journey (X)
The plane is pictured after landing following its diversion"Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. Our priority is to provide all possible assistance to all passengers and crew on board the aircraft.
"We are working with the local authorities in Thailand to provide the necessary medical assistance, and sending a team to Bangkok to provide any additional assistance needed. We will provide regular updates on our Facebook and X accounts."
Emergency services dashed to the airport (X)
Ambulances are pictured at the airportThe flight left London Heathrow and encountered turbulence approximately one hour and a half from Singapore. The turbulence happened at 3.45pm yesterday (local time) amid severe thunderstorms in and around Thailand.
Further details about the deceased passenger, including their age and gender, have yet to be disclosed at this early stage. Heavy rain was forecast for the region yesterday and today, and meteorologists expected it to be thundery at times. This can, naturally, lead to difficult conditions for aircraft. But Singapore Airlines is yet to comment on what may have caused the extreme turbulence, which led to the emergency landing.
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