One passenger was killed and dozens injured after a Singapore Airlines flight from London hit severe turbulence en route on Tuesday (May 21), forcing it to make an emergency landing in Bangkok, officials and the airline said. - REUTERS
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00:00 [POLICE SIRENS]
00:03 [POLICE SIRENS]
00:06 [POLICE SIRENS]
00:35 A 73-year-old British man was killed,
00:38 and injured passengers were stretched off
00:40 a Singapore Airlines flight from London on Tuesday
00:44 after the plane fell into an air pocket
00:46 before encountering turbulence, the airline and officials said.
00:51 Forced to make an emergency landing in Bangkok,
00:54 dozens were taken to hospital, including one crew member,
00:57 according to a senior airport official.
01:00 The tarmac became a makeshift emergency room
01:02 to treat the injured.
01:04 A senior airport official said the British man likely
01:06 died due to a heart attack, while seven people were
01:09 critically injured with head injuries.
01:11 A passenger on board told Reuters the plane tilted
01:14 upwards and began shaking.
01:16 Then he said a dramatic drop saw people launched
01:19 into baggage cabins overhead, their bodies denting
01:22 and breaking the panels.
01:23 A spokesperson for Flightradar24
01:26 said data analysis from the plane's journey
01:29 shows the plane tilting upwards and returning
01:31 to its cruising altitude over the space of a minute.
01:34 The Boeing 777-300ER plane, with 211 passengers and 18 crew,
01:40 was headed to Singapore, the airline said.
01:43 Singapore Airlines, in a statement,
01:45 offered its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased
01:48 and apologized for the traumatic experience for passengers
01:52 and crew.
01:54 Turbulence-related airline accidents
01:56 are the most common type, according to a 2021 study
01:59 by the National Transportation Safety Board.
02:02 Widely recognized as one of the world's leading airlines
02:05 and a benchmark for much of the industry,
02:08 Singapore Airlines has not had any major incidents
02:10 in recent years.
02:11 The airline said it is working with Thai authorities
02:14 to provide all necessary assistance.
02:16 Boeing said it was also ready to provide support.