Current:Home > InvestSingapore Airlines passenger says it was chaos as "extreme turbulence" hit flight with no warning -Streamline Finance
Singapore Airlines passenger says it was chaos as "extreme turbulence" hit flight with no warning
EchoSense Quantitative Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-10 16:28:24
London — A passenger who was on the Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 when it hit severe turbulence on Tuesday, leaving one passenger dead and dozens injured, has described "horrifying" scenes on board the Boeing 777 as it hit the rough air with virtually no warning. Dzafram Azmir, a 28-year-old student from Malaysia, was travelling from London to Singapore when the plane was hit by what the airline called "extreme turbulence," dropping about 6,000 feet in the space of just five minutes.
"I've been flying all my life since I was a kid. I didn't know turbulence could cause this level of damage and how much it could hurt people," Azmir told CBS News on Wednesday. He described the ordeal as "quick and unanticipated" as the plane hit the turbulence around the time of a meal service.
- What causes turbulence and how to stay safe on a flight
"There was screaming, yelling and gasping," Azmir said. "People who weren't buckled down in their seats were thrown up off of their chairs, flung to the ceiling of the cabin and then immediately thrown back down, to their seats or the flooring."
In a statement, the airline said the plane encountered the turbulence over the Indian Ocean at 37,000 feet, about 10 hours after departure. The flight was then diverted to Bangkok after the pilot declared a medical emergency.
An official with the Bangkok airport said Tuesday that the man who died, who was identified as a 73-year-old British passenger, was believed to have suffered a heart attack during the turbulence. In a post on Facebook, the carrier offered its condolences to the family of the man who died and later apologized "for the traumatic experience that our passengers and crew members suffered."
Azmir said he counted himself lucky to have come out of the incident unscathed, which he credited to having his seatbelt on at the time. Passengers have said the seatbelt light came on right before the plane hit the turbulence, but Azmir said there was no warning, which he believes contributed to the extent of the damage and injuries.
He said his experience "pales in comparison to some more tragic things that happened to other passengers," but that the incident had left him fearing turbulence.
- The impacts of climate change on air travel
A relief flight carrying 143 of the passengers and crew members arrived in Singapore on early Wednesday morning, according to the airline. At least 30 peopled were injured on the Tuesday flight, according to Thai officials, including some who were left in critical condition.
The Reuters news agency said Wednesday that 20 passengers were in intensive care, nine had undergone surgery, and five others were awaiting surgery at Bangkok's Samitivej Hospital.
- In:
- Thailand
- Singapore Airlines
- Travel
- Asia
- London
veryGood! (3)
Related
- B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
- Search resumes for woman who went into frozen Alaska river to save her dog
- Students at now-closed Connecticut nursing school sue state officials, say they’ve made things worse
- Madewell's Post-Holiday Sale Goes Big with $9 Tops, $41 Jeans, $39 Boots & More
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- Man trapped in truck under bridge for as long as six days rescued by fishermen
- Parasite Actor Lee Sun-kyun Dead at 48
- A US delegation to meet with Mexican government for talks on the surge of migrants at border
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- As migration surges, immigration court case backlog swells to over 3 million
Ranking
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- Colombia’s ELN rebels say they will only stop kidnappings for ransom if government funds cease-fire
- North Korea’s Kim boasts of achievements as he opens key year-end political meeting
- Almcoin Trading Center Analysis of the Development Process of Bitcoin
- Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
- The year in review: 50 wonderful things from 2023
- A lawsuit challenging Alabama’s transgender care ban for minors will move forward, judge says
- As migration surges, immigration court case backlog swells to over 3 million
Recommendation
Intellectuals vs. The Internet
21 Non-Alcoholic Beverages To Help You Thrive During Dry January and Beyond
Here's What You Should Spend Your Sephora Gift Card On
Ice storms and blizzards pummel the central US on the day after Christmas
Sam Taylor
Latest MLB rumors on Bellinger, Snell and more free agent and trade updates
Russian presidential hopeful loses appeal against authorities’ refusal to register her for the race
NFL power rankings Week 17: Ravens overtake top spot after rolling 49ers