At least 1 dead after Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 encounters severe turbulence, at least 30 reported injured

At least one person died after a Singapore Airlines flight from London to the city state encountered severe turbulence on Monday, the airline said in a social media post on Tuesday.

Some Thai news outlets have reported that two passengers on the flight have died. This Week in Asia is verifying this information.

The aircraft was diverted to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport and landed at about 3.45pm on Tuesday. “We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER. There were a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew on board,” it said in a Facebook post.

The flight, SQ321, left London’s Heathrow Airport at 10.38pm local time on Monday, according to media reports.

According to an update by the airline, 18 passengers have been hospitalised and another 12 are being treated for injuries, while the remaining passengers and cabin crew are being examined and given treatment at the airport.

The airline also said it was working with local authorities in Thailand to provide the necessary medical assistance and sending a team over to provide additional help.

Details about the nationality of the person who died are unknown.

A spokesperson for Suvarnabhumi International Airport did not immediately confirm that an emergency landing had taken place, but told reporters that a medical team was on standby, according to a Reuters report.

Local emergency crews from Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital were at the scene to transfer injured passengers off the runway for treatment, AFP reported.

According to data from live flight tracker FlightRadar24 seen by This Week in Asia, the Boeing 777 was cruising at an altitude of 37,000 feet but suddenly pitched down to 31,000 feet over a span of about three minutes.

The plane