In a rare and tragic incident, one passenger has died and 30 others were injured due to severe turbulence on a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore. The fatality and injuries were confirmed by Singapore Airlines in an official statement.
Flight SQ321, a Boeing 777-300 ER, took off from Heathrow Airport in London on Monday, bound for Singapore. En route, the aircraft encountered severe turbulence, forcing it to divert to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport, where it landed safely at 3:45 PM local time on Tuesday.
The plane was carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members at the time of the incident. Offering condolences to the family of the deceased passenger, Singapore Airlines said, “We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300 ER. 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.”
Experts have noted that injuries in such incidents typically occur when passengers are not wearing seatbelts and there is no advanced warning from the pilots, as weather radar may not always indicate turbulence. Passengers can be violently thrown around the cabin, leading to injuries.
This incident follows a similar event in May of last year when severe turbulence caused several injuries on an Air India flight from Delhi to Sydney. Singapore Airlines is coordinating with local authorities in Thailand to ensure that all injured passengers receive the necessary medical care. The airline is also dispatching a team to Bangkok to support the affected passengers and crew.
As the investigation into the cause of the turbulence continues, this tragic incident serves as a reminder of the potential dangers of air travel and the critical importance of wearing seatbelts at all times during a flight.
