BANGKOK– One person has died aboard a London-Singapore flight that encountered severe turbulence, Singapore Airlines said on Tuesday, with the plane apparently plummeting for several minutes before being diverted to Bangkok where emergency services rushed to help injured passengers. middle of stormy weather.
The Boeing 777-300ER, with a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew on board, landed in Bangkok at 3:45 p.m. (0845 GMT), the airline said in a Facebook post.
Tracking data collected by FlightRadar24 and analyzed by The Associated Press showed the Singapore Airlines flight was flying at an altitude of 37,000 feet (11,300 meters). Just after 0800 GMT, the Boeing 777 suddenly and sharply descended to 31,000 feet (9,400 meters) in the space of about three minutes, the data showed.
The plane remained at 31,000 feet (9,400 meters) for just under 10 minutes before descending rapidly and landing in Bangkok in just under half an hour. The descent took place while the flight was over the Andaman Sea and approaching Myanmar.
Emergency services from Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) away from Suvarnabhumi Airport, were on the scene to remove injured passengers of Heathrow flight SQ321 from the runway for treatment. Videos posted by Suvarnabhumi Airport on the LINE messaging platform showed a line of ambulances rushing to the scene of the accident.
“Singapore Airlines extends its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased,” the airline said. “We are working with local authorities in Thailand to provide necessary medical assistance and are deploying a team to Bangkok to provide any additional assistance.”
