Dozens injured aboard Singapore flight

One person has died, with several injured, after severe turbulence on a London to Singapore flight.
Authorities at Bangkok airport say the victim was a 73-year-old Briton who “likely” died from a heart attack.

Seven people are seriously injured and the wife of the British man who died has gone to hospital.

The Singapore Airlines flight diverted to Bangkok and landed at 15:45 local time (08:45 GMT).

Singapore Airlines says it “offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.”

The Singapore Airlines flight took off from Heathrow Airport at 22:30 GMT on Monday night. The plane was a 16-year-old Boeing 777.

According to the airline, there was severe turbulence en-route, and the aircraft diverted to Bangkok, arriving roughly 11 and a half hours after departure.

Singapore Airlines has confirmed that one person died in the incident and offered its deepest condolences to their family. It has added that 30 other people were receiving hospital treatment.

Aviation safety experts say severe turbulence can’t always be predicted or avoided, and research suggests it is becoming more common due to climate change. However, deaths and injuries resulting from it remain rare.

One passenger who was onboard the Singapore Airlines flight said the aircraft “suddenly dropped” as objects were thrown around the cabin by the turbulence.
“I was covered in coffee,” Andrew Davies from London said.

“During the few seconds of the plane dropping there was an awful screaming and what sounded like a thud.”

Once it settled Andrew says he was able to help one lady “screaming in agony” who had a “gash on her head”.

Andrew says passengers are being kept in a special part of the airport in Bangkok. “I will get on another flight, these are very rare occurrences,” he says.

The flight was carrying a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew, Singapore Airlines said in a statement, and was forced to divert to Bangkok earlier today.

But exactly what happened on board the flight is still unclear. Turbulence is most commonly caused by aircraft flying through cloud but there is also “clear air” turbulence which is not visible on a jet’s weather radar, nor is it possible to predict.