Singapore Airlines makes emergency landing in Bangkok, 1 passenger dies

The Singapore Airlines plane was forced to land at Svarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok, due to turbulence. One person died.

ELOK DYAH MESSWATI

A Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900 prepares to take off from Manchester Airport, England, on September 4, 2018.

BANGKOK, TUESDAY — The Singapore Airlines plane which was on a flight from London to Singapore was forced to make an emergency landing at Svarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday (21/5/2024) evening, because experiencing severe turbulence. One passenger died, while 30 other people were injured.

"We can confirm that there are injured victims and one fatality in the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft," said the Singaporean government-owned airline in a statement uploaded on Facebook page.

A total of 10 ambulances and several fire trucks were dispatched by airport management to assist in the evacuation process of passengers. The injured passengers, as reported by the Bangkok Post page, were taken to Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital which is about 20 kilometers west of the airport for treatment.

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The Singapore Airlines plane with flight number SQ321 carried 211 passengers and 18 crew members. The FlightRadar 24 tracking data shows that the plane was at an altitude of 37,000 feet above sea level when turbulence occurred. At around 3:00 pm Bangkok time, the plane suddenly sharply dove, its altitude drastically dropped to 31,000 feet within a span of about three minutes.

ALBERTUS SUBUR TJAHJONO

The atmosphere of Singapore Airlines business class on a Singapore-Seattle, USA, first flight, September 3 2019.

The aircraft stayed at a height of 31,000 feet (9,400 meters) for less than 10 minutes before descending rapidly and ultimately landing in Bangkok in less than half an hour. The descent occurred while the flight was over the Andaman Sea, approaching the territorial waters of Myanmar.

Until now, the airline management has not announced the names of the deceased and injured passengers. In their statement, the airline stated that their priority at the moment is to provide all assistance for the passengers and crew.

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"Singapore Airlines extends its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased," said the airline. "We are collaborating with the local authorities in Thailand to provide necessary medical assistance and sending a team to Bangkok to provide additional aid as required."

Singapore Airlines has been known as one of the airlines with the best safety ratings. According to the Aviation Safety Network's records, the airline, which was established on May 1, 1947, has only had seven accident incidents.

KOMPAS/IQBAL BASYARI

A Singapore Airlines flight attendant greets business class passengers on the Singapore-Düsseldorf route.

One of the worst accidents ever experienced by this airline occurred in October 2000. A Boeing 747-400 aircraft crashed while attempting to take off at Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan. Eighty-three passengers were killed and dozens of others were injured.

Singapore's Minister of Transport, Chee Hong Tat, expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, including those who died. "I am deeply saddened by the incident on Singapore Airlines SQ321 from London Heathrow to Singapore," he said in a post on Facebook. (AP/REUTERS)