Bangkok: Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 was rocked by unexpected turmoil, leaving passengers in disbelief and fear. Malaysian student Dzafran Azmir recounted the harrowing experience onboard the Boeing 777-300R en route from London to Singapore.
Unforeseen Turbulence
With approximately three hours remaining in the journey, Azmir sensed something amiss as the aircraft appeared to tilt upwards and tremble. The 28-year-old quickly secured his seatbelt, a precaution overlooked by many fellow passengers.
“Suddenly there was a very dramatic drop so everyone seated and not wearing seatbelt was launched immediately into the ceiling,” Azmir recounted to the international news agency Reuters. The impact was severe, with passengers colliding with overhead baggage cabins, lights, and emergency equipment.
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Tragic Consequences
The flight, which plummeted into an air pocket before encountering turbulence, resulted in one fatality and 30 injuries. The severity of the injuries, including spinal and head trauma, underscored the ferocity of the incident.
“The crew and people inside lavatories were hurt the most because we discovered people just on the ground not able to get up. There were a lot of spinal and head injuries,” Azmir revealed.
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Emergency Response
With the situation escalating rapidly, the captain announced an emergency landing in Bangkok, Thailand. Upon touchdown, medical personnel rushed to aid the injured, though the extent of the casualties seemed to catch them off guard.
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“I don’t think they anticipated how bad it was,” Azmir remarked. Ambulances arrived shortly thereafter, facilitating the evacuation of injured passengers. Azmir witnessed at least eight individuals being stretchered out of the emergency exits, a process that took 90 minutes to complete.
