(Bangkok) A person has died on board a flight between London and Singapore which experienced severe turbulence, Singapore Airlines announced on Tuesday. The plane was diverted to Bangkok, where rescue teams rushed to help injured passengers.
The Boeing 777-300er, with a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew members on board, landed in Bangkok at 3:45 p.m., the airline said in a Facebook post.
Emergency teams from Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital, located about 20 kilometers from Suvarnabhumi Airport, were on hand to transfer injured passengers from Flight SQ321 from Heathrow off the runway so they could are cared for. Videos posted on messaging platform LINE by Suvarnabhumi Airport show a line of ambulances heading 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 we are sending a team to Bangkok to provide any additional assistance needed. »
Tracking data captured by FlightRadar24 and analyzed by The Associated Press shows the Singapore Airlines plane was flying at an altitude of 37,000 feet. Just after 0800 GMT, the Boeing 777 suddenly and sharply nosedived at 31,000 feet within a span of three minutes, the data showed.
The plane stayed at 31,000 feet for just under ten minutes before descending quickly and landing in Bangkok in just under half an hour.