Singapore Airlines Flight Turbulence: Toddler Among 20 Passengers Hospitalised With Head, Spinal Injuries

Singapore Airlines flight turbulence: Over 20 passengers on the flight that was hit by severe turbulence suffered head and spinal injuries. They were hospitalised in critical condition.

A Bangkok hospital has said that over 20 passengers, including a toddler, on the Singapore Airlines flight that was hit by intense turbulence were hospitalised in critical condition with head and spinal injuries. They were admitted to a hospital in the Thai capital after the London-bound aircraft made an emergency landing. The aircraft descended 6,000 feet in about three minutes due to the turbulence left a 73-year-old British man dead and several others injured.

According to Singapore Airlines, 46 passengers and two crew members are still under medical care in Bangkok. Eyewitnesses told British news website BBC that the sudden drop in the altitude of the aircraft caused unrestrained passengers to collide with the ceiling.

At Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital, 41 passengers remain, half of them in intensive care. Hospital director Adinun Kittiratanapaibool reported that 22 passengers sustained spinal injuries, while six are critically wounded, facing life-threatening conditions. The incident resulted in the unfortunate death of 73-year-old British passenger Geoff Kitchen, presumably due to a heart attack, the BBC report stated.

Among the injured, six suffered skull and brain injuries and 13 were hospitalised with muscular and soft tissue injuries. As many as 17 people had to undergo surgeries, of which nine were related to spinal injuries. The youngest patient, a two-year-old, is being treated for concussion. Those receiving medical attention include 10 Britons, nine Australians, seven Malaysians, and four Filipinos, with the eldest patient being 83 years old.

The Boeing 777-300, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members, encountered severe turbulence at 37,000 feet over the Irrawaddy Basin in the Indian Ocean, forcing a diversion to Bangkok. A relief aircraft later flew the remaining passengers and crew to Singapore.

Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong later issued a public apology, expressing deep remorse to all those affected by the turbulence. The Singaporean government has assured of a thorough investigation into the incident.