A British man has been killed and 30 more injured after a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore hit severe turbulence on Tuesday.
The plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Bangkok, as confirmed by local officials and the airline.
"Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased,” said the airline. “We deeply apologise for the traumatic experience that our passengers and crew members suffered on this flight."
Singapore Airlines confirmed that it was working with Thai authorities to provide all necessary assistance.
Why did the Singapore Airlines plan have to make an emergency landing?
Attempts are underway to reconstruct what happened on board the plane but analysis from flight tracker FlightRadar 24, as reported by Reuters, showed that the plane tilted upwards and returned to its cruising altitude within the space of a minute at 7.49am GMT.
An account from a passenger on board the flight described how the incident involved the sensation of rising and then falling.
"Suddenly, the aircraft starts tilting up and there was shaking so I started bracing for what was happening,” 28-year-old student Dzafran Azmir said. “Very suddenly, there was a very dramatic drop so everyone seated and not wearing a seatbelt was launched immediately into the ceiling.
"Some people hit their heads on the baggage cabins overhead and dented it, they hit the places where lights and masks are and broke straight through it.”
The spokesperson for FlightRadar 24 said that the drop in height from 37,000ft to 31,000 feet was separate to the turbulence event, with the larger drop in height being a standard flight level change in preparation for landing.
Who has been killed and who has been injured on Singapore flight?
One male passenger died and 18 more people have been hospitalised, with seven believed to be in critical condition, according to Singapore Airlines.
The man who died has been described as a 73-year-old British man with a heart condition. He was travelling with his wife, who was taken to hospital.
The airport general manager, Kittipong Kittikachorn, went on to state: “I confirm the death toll is one person… we learned he had a heart condition. The death is now to be subject to an autopsy but we think it could be caused by a heart attack.
“The police has taken over the case and the body will be sent to the autopsy department then they will contact the embassy.”
The identities of those injured have not yet been revealed.
Singapore's Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat made a public statement saying that the government would provide assistance to the passengers and their families.
"I am deeply saddened to learn about the incident on board Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 from London Heathrow to Singapore," he posted in a statement on Facebook.
