More than 20 passengers aboard a Singapore Airlines flight that encountered severe turbulence on Tuesday remain in intensive care with serious injuries, including spinal, brain, and skull trauma, according to a hospital in Bangkok.
Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital in Bangkok is treating 22 patients for spine and spinal cord injuries, six for skull and brain injuries, and 13 for bone, muscle, or soft tissue complaints, hospital director Adinun Kittiratanapaibool reported on Thursday.
Seventeen patients have undergone surgery, ranging from stitches to spinal operations. Tragically, one person lost their life in the incident.
Passengers recounted the harrowing experience after the plane made an emergency landing in Bangkok. They described how passengers and crew were violently thrown around the cabin, with some hitting their heads on overhead compartments, resulting in bloody injuries and widespread shock.
Josh Silverstone, a 24-year-old British passenger, expressed relief at being alive as he left the hospital on Wednesday evening. He described sustaining a cut on his eye and a chipped tooth but noted that many others were in far worse condition.
Silverstone detailed the chaos following the emergency landing, including his own experience of vomiting, which led him to seek medical attention.
Flight SQ321, traveling from London to Singapore, was cruising at 37,000 feet on Tuesday when it suddenly dropped sharply before climbing again. This pattern of abrupt dips and ascents lasted for about a minute, according to flight tracking data.
At the time, many passengers were having breakfast. Video footage and images taken inside the aircraft after its emergency landing in Bangkok revealed significant damage: smashed open overhead compartments, dangling emergency oxygen masks, and debris scattered across the cabin. A photo of one galley showed a gaping hole in the ceiling with parts of the plane’s interior hanging down.
The plane, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew, was diverted to Bangkok, where ambulances and emergency response teams were on standby. Among those injured were citizens from Australia, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Spain, the United States, and Ireland.
Out of the 104 passengers reported injured, 55 remain hospitalized. A 73-year-old British man with an existing heart condition, identified as Geoff Kitchen, died on board. The Thornbury Musical Theatre Group, where he had worked for over 35 years, described him as “always a gentleman with the utmost honesty and integrity.”
Following the incident, 143 passengers and crew were flown to Singapore on a relief flight sent by Singapore Airlines on Wednesday morning.
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