One person has died and several others have been injured on a Singapore Airlines flight from London that encountered severe turbulence.
The Boeing 777-300ER, bound for Singapore, was diverted to Bangkok and landed at 15:45 local time (08:45 GMT).
Flight SQ 321 had 211 passengers and 18 crew members on board, according to a statement from the airline.
“Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased,” it said.
The airline also stated that it was collaborating with Thai authorities to provide medical assistance to passengers and was sending a team to Bangkok to offer additional help as needed.
Thai authorities have dispatched ambulances and emergency teams to Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Singapore’s Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat announced that the government would provide support to the passengers and their families.
“I am deeply saddened to learn about the incident onboard Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 from London Heathrow to Singapore,” he posted in a statement on Facebook.
What happened on board the flight is still unclear.
“Injuries from severe turbulence are relatively rare in the context of millions of flights operated. However, severe turbulence can be dramatic and lead to severe injuries or sadly in this case a fatality,” John Strickland, a general aviation expert, told the BBC.
Flight crews have the resources to predict turbulence, though some parts of the world are more prone to it. They are also trained in how to respond to turbulence, Mr Strickland said.
“It is not for nothing that airlines recommend keeping seat belts loosely fastened throughout a flight be it long or short,” he added.
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