Severe turbulence on Singapore Airlines flight, One dead and at least 71 injured

                           BREAKING NEWS

SINGAPORE AIRLINES BOEING 777-312 9V-SWJ (MSN 34575)

One passenger has died, and at least 71 others have sustained injuries aboard a Singapore Airlines flight that experienced severe turbulence en route from London (LHR/EGLL) to Singapore (SIN/WSSS).

The aircraft departed from Heathrow Airport last night at 22:38, around half an hour behind its scheduled departure time of 22:05. The aircraft initially climbed to 31,000 feet before proceeding to 37,000 feet just after passing India. It was not long after that when the disaster started.

The Boeing 777-300ER aircraft was diverted to Bangkok (BKK/VTBS), as stated in a Singapore Airlines Facebook post. The post mentioned that there were 211 passengers and 18 crew members on board. Initially, the company reported that 30 passengers were injured during the mid-flight disturbance and were receiving hospital treatment, while others were given outpatient care at the airport.

Sadly a 73-year-old British man was the deceased individual, as confirmed by Kittipong Kittikachorn, the General Manager of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

The flight made its landing in the Thai capital at 3:45 p.m. local time (4:45 a.m. ET) on Tuesday.

Kittikachorn informed the media that he had been notified of the emergency landing 10 minutes prior to its arrival. He noted that several passengers suffered broken arms, although most injuries were minor, such as cuts and bruises.

He further stated that some of the injured were transported to Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital nearby, and nearly 200 passengers were awaiting their onward flights.

The hospital later updated that at least 71 individuals were injured, including nationals from Malaysia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Spain, the United States, and Ireland, with six suffering severe injuries. There were 61 Australian's onboard, 8 of those were taken to hospital in a serious condition.

Media reports states Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 experienced turbulence over Myanmar at around 7:49 a.m. UTC (3:49 a.m. ET). This information corresponds with the airline's report that the aircraft encountered severe turbulence over the Irrawaddy Basin in Myanmar at an altitude of 37,000 feet, roughly 10 hours after takeoff.

It has been reported that they were cruising at 37,000 feet, suddenly dropping around 5,000 feet then rapidly climbing a few hundred feet before dropping and climbing again before finally settling back at its cruising altitude. The entire disruption took about 90 seconds, according to the passengers, but resulted in dozens of injuries, including a fatality.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Singapore Airlines

Code: SQ/SIA

Aircraft: Boeing 777-312ER

Registration: 9V-SWM (Star Alliance Livery)

Serial Number: 34578

Engines: 2 x GE GE90-115B

First Flew: 19th February 2008

Age: 16 Years