More than 40 people hurt on Singapore Airlines turbulence flight still in hospital
Forty three people who were on board a Singapore Airlines flight hit with severe turbulence remain in hospital.
They are being treated at three different hospitals in Bangkok with various injuries four days after the terrifying incident on May 21.
The Boeing 777-300ER had been on its way from London to Singapore and was flying over Myanmar when it suddenly plunged 1,800 metres (6,000ft), throwing passengers out of their seats.
A British man, 73-year-old Geoffrey Kitchen, died of a suspected heart attack and once the flight had rerouted and landed in Thailand 71 people were taken to hospital.
Thirty four patients are at Samitivej Srinakarin hospital, a spokesperson from the facility said, with seven in intensive care – a Brit, three Australians, two Malaysians and one from New Zealand.
Other patients at the hospital include eight Brits, six Australians, five Malaysians and two from the Philippines, they added.
On Thursday, the Samitivej Srinakarin hospital director told reporters 22 patients had spinal cord injuries and six had brain and skull injuries, but none were life-threatening.
One Australian passenger, Keith Davis, 59, described the ordeal, which left his wife Kerry with a severe spinal injury and no feeling below the waist.
‘It was absolute carnage, instantly. It was absolutely surreal. You know, there’s no warning,’ he told Australian broadcaster Channel 9.
‘Before we knew it we were on the ceiling. And then bang, we’re on the ground. And you don’t know what is going on. And you’ve literally fallen 6,000ft.’
Mr Davis, who said he only suffered superficial injuries, explained that his wife hit the doors of the overhead luggage lockers before falling to the floor of the aisle and was unable to move for the rest of the flight.’
The couple, from Adelaide, were not wearing seatbelts at the time, he said as there ‘was no warning, no announcement’ that turbulence was on its way.
On Friday morning Mr Davis told Australian breakfast show Sunrise that his wife was in a ‘very serious condition’.
‘She’s still in ICU. She’s had emergency surgery and she has no feeling from her waist down so it is a pretty scary time,’ he added.
He described the medical support at the hospital as ‘exemplary’.
Photos taken inside the plane after it landed show the cabin in chaos, strewn with food, drinks and luggage, and with oxygen masks dangling from the ceiling.
Singapore Airlines chief executive Goh Choon Phong has apologised for the ‘traumatic experience’ and expressed condolences to the family of Mr Kitchen.
The airline said on Friday it has tightened seatbelt rules on its flights after the incident and has introduced a ‘more cautious approach’ to turbulence.
‘In addition to the suspension of hot beverage service when the seat belt sign is on, the meal service will also be suspended,’ it said in a statement.
‘SIA will continue to review our processes as the safety of our passengers and crew is of utmost importance.’
Singaporean investigators are analysing a cockpit voice recorder and a flight data recorder to find out what exactly happened during those moments.
Air safety experts have told Associated Foreign Press that passengers are often too casual about wearing seatbelts, leaving them at risk if the plane hits unexpected turbulence.
Scientists also warn that so-called clear air turbulence, which is invisible to radar, is getting worse because of climate change.
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