One of the eight Australians in hospital after their London-to-Singapore flight hit severe turbulence, leading to the death of a British man, has described how she was “flung to the roof” then thrown back to the cabin floor during the ordeal.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed that eight Australians had been injured on Singapore Airlines flight SQ 321. Fifty-six Australians were on the flight.
Dfat said consular officials from the Australian embassy in Bangkok were providing assistance to the eight Australians taken to hospital.
“The Australian embassy in Bangkok and the Australian high commission in Singapore continue to make inquiries to confirm if any further Australians are affected,” a statement said.
Singapore Airlines said: “A Singapore Airlines team from Singapore has arrived in Bangkok to support our colleagues and the local authorities on the ground.
“We are providing all possible assistance to the passengers and crew on board SQ321, both at the hospital and the airport.”
There were a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew onboard SQ321. Passengers reported a “dramatic drop” due to turbulence that launched those not wearing a seatbelt into the cabin ceiling.
The nationalities of the passengers were: 56 from Australia, two from Canada, one from Germany, three from India, two from Indonesia, one from Iceland, four from Ireland, one from Israel, 16 from Malaysia, two from Myanmar, 23 from New Zealand, five from the Philippines, 41 from Singapore, one from South Korea, two from Spain, 47 from the UK, and four from the US.
Teandra Tukhunen, speaking from Bangkok’s Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital with her left arm in a sling, explained how she had been asleep onboard SQ321 when the plane struck the turbulence.
“I was asleep, and then I was woken up because I was thrown to the roof and then to the floor,” Tukhunen, a 30 year-old from Melbourne, told Sky News UK.
She had not been wearing her seatbelt when the turbulence woke her up. “I woke up because of the turbulence, and then when they put on the seatbelt sign, pretty much immediately, straight after that I was flung to the roof, before I even had time to put my seatbelt on unfortunately,” she said.
“Because it was just so quick they had no warning whatsoever,” she said.
Tukhunen thanked the pilot, who she felt had “saved our lives”. “We’re alive, so that’s all that matters in the end.”
“It was just so quick, over in just a couple of seconds and then you’re just shocked.”
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The airline confirmed that there had been multiple injuries and one fatality onboard the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
“Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased,” it said. “We deeply apologise for the traumatic experience that our passengers and crew members suffered on this flight.”
The airline was working with the relevant authorities on an investigation.
The British passenger who died has been named as Geoffrey Kitchen.
Kitchen, 73, a retired insurance professional turned amateur dramatics performer, and his wife, Linda, were to stop over in Singapore en route to Australia, where they planned to enjoy a six-week holiday, neighbours told the Guardian.
131 passengers and 12 crew members arrived in Singapore via a relief flight just after 5am Singapore time, and were met by Goh Choon Phong the Singapore Airlines CEO, according to an update posted by the airline to Facebook.
Another 79 passengers and six crew members remain in Bangkok, including those receiving medical care and their family members who were also on board.