Flight SQ321, en route from London to Singapore, experienced a sudden drop in altitude while cruising at 37,000 feet, followed by multiple dips and ascents over about a minute, as per flight tracking data.
During the incident, many passengers were having breakfast. Images and videos captured inside the aircraft after its emergency landing in Bangkok revealed extensive damage, including overhead compartments smashed open and emergency oxygen masks hanging above the seats.
A photo depicted a galley with a section of the ceiling open, exposing parts of the plane’s interior. The floor was littered with trays, containers, plastic bottles, and hot beverage pots. Following the ordeal, the plane, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members, was diverted to Bangkok, where ambulances and emergency teams were on standby.
Among those injured were individuals from Australia, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Spain, the United States, and Ireland, according to hospital sources.
Of the 71 reported injured passengers, 55 remain hospitalized, with 40 at the Samitivej Srinakarin facility. Tragically, a 73-year-old British man, Geoff Kitchen, who had a pre-existing heart condition, passed away during the flight. However, the exact cause of his death is yet to be confirmed by hospital authorities.
Geoff Kitchen was fondly remembered as “always a gentleman with the utmost honesty and integrity” by the Thornbury Musical Theatre Group, where he dedicated over 35 years of service.
Following the incident, 143 passengers and crew members from the original flight were flown to Singapore on a relief flight arranged by Singapore Airlines the following morning.
