At least one dead after Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 hit severe turbulence, at least 30 injured reported

At least one person died after severe turbulence occurred on a Singapore Airlines flight from London to the city-state on Monday, the airline said in a social media post on Tuesday.

Some Thai news outlets reported that two passengers on the flight died. This Week in Asia reviews this information.

The plane was diverted to Bangkok and landed around 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday. “We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER. There were a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew members on board,” a Facebook post said.

British media reported that there were at least 30 injured people on board the plane.

The airline also said it was working with local authorities in Thailand to provide necessary medical assistance and sending a team to provide additional assistance.

Further information about the nationality of the deceased person is not known.

A spokesman for Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport did not immediately confirm that an emergency landing had taken place, but told reporters that a medical team was on standby, according to a Reuters report.

According to AFP, local emergency teams from Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital were on site to take injured passengers off the runway for treatment.

According to data from live flight tracker FlightRadar24 seen by This Week in Asia, the Boeing 777 was flying at an altitude of 37,000 feet but suddenly descended to 31,000 feet within about three minutes.

The aircraft then remained at 31,000 feet for nearly 10 minutes before quickly descending and landing in Bangkok in less than 30 minutes.

Singapore’s Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat expressed his “deep sadness” over the incident, adding that officials from the Transport Ministry, Foreign Ministry, Singapore Civil Aviation Authority and Changi Airport were providing support to those affected.

According to the Aviation Safety Network, a database that provides information on airline safety issues and accidents, Singapore Airlines has had seven accidents.

Singapore Airlines’ last fatal accident occurred in October 2000, when a plane crashed on takeoff on a closed runway at Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan.

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