SINGAPORE – Sixteen Malaysians were among the 211 passengers aboard Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight SQ321 from London to Singapore that was forced to make an emergency landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday afternoon.
SIA, in its latest update at 10.35pm last night on Facebook, however, did not specify their conditions.
There were also 41 passengers from Singapore, the United Kingdom (47), Australia (56), Canada (two), Germany (one), India (three), Indonesia (two), Iceland (one), Ireland (four), Israel (one), Myanmar (two), New Zealand (23), the Philippines (five), South Korea (one), Spain (two), and the United States (four) onboard the flight.
Suvarnabhumi Airport director Kittipong Kittikachorn earlier said the one fatality in the incident was a 73-year-old British man.
SIA said the flight encountered sudden extreme turbulence over the Irrawaddy Basin at 37,000 feet about 10 hours after departure from Heathrow Airport, forcing the pilot to declare a medical emergency and diverting the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to Bangkok.
As of 7.50pm, 18 individuals had been hospitalised and 12 were being treated in hospitals, while the remaining passengers and crew were being examined and given treatment, as needed, at Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
“SIA is working with the relevant authorities on the investigation into this incident,” it said.
The airline said it is currently working with colleagues and the local authorities in Thailand to provide the necessary assistance and an SIA team is on its way to Bangkok to provide further support.
Relatives seeking information may call the Singapore Airlines hotlines at +65-6542-3311 (Singapore), 1800-845-313 (Australia), and 080-0066-8194 (the United Kingdom). – May 22, 2024