At least seven people were seriously injured after a Singapore Airlines flight traveling from London to Singapore suffered severe turbulence and was forced to make an emergency landing in Thailand, according to Kittipong Kittikachorn, general manager of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
Earlier, the airport official confirmed that a 73-year-old Briton had died. Authorities are currently waiting for a medical report on the deceased, Kittikachorn said.
Kittikachorn also told CNN on Tuesday that he was told about the emergency landing in Bangkok just ten minutes before he landed.
Kittikachorn, who inspected the aircraft, reported that several passengers were injured and some with broken arms. The seriousness of the situation led doctors to recommend the initiation of an emergency plan to help all affected passengers. Previously, the airport official said most of the injuries suffered on board were cuts and bruises.
“It took us an hour and a half to evacuate all the passengers,” Kittikachorn said. The turbulence also caused significant damage to the interior of the plane, with parts of the roof and trunk collapsing.
