At least seven people are critically injured after a Singapore Airlines flight traveling from London to Singapore experienced severe turbulence and was forced to make an emergency landing in Thailand, according to Kittipong Kittikachorn, the general manager of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
Earlier, the airport official confirmed a 73-year-old British man had died. Authorities are currently awaiting a medical report on the deceased, Kittikachorn said.
Kittikachorn also told CNN on Tuesday that he was informed about the emergency landing in Bangkok just ten minutes before it touched down.
Kittikachorn, who inspected the aircraft, reported that several passengers were injured, with some sustaining broken arms. The severity of the situation prompted doctors to advise the initiation of an emergency plan to assist all affected passengers. Previously, the airport official said the majority of injuries sustained on board were cuts and bruises.
“It took us one and a half hours to evacuate all passengers,” Kittikachorn stated. The turbulence also caused significant damage inside the plane, with parts of the ceiling and luggage compartments collapsing.
