Objects and People Flying Around... Chilling Scene Inside the Cabin Encountering Turbulence

People and Objects All Over the Place in 'Chaos'
1 Dead, 7 Seriously Injured, Over 60 Wounded

Vivid testimonies from passengers aboard a Singapore Airlines flight from London that made an emergency landing in Bangkok, Thailand after encountering severe turbulence have been reported.

"No warning before hitting turbulence... both objects and people were flying around"

Interior view of Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 making an emergency landing at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand due to turbulence. Oxygen masks are hanging down.
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

On the 21st (local time), the British BBC reported the testimony of Jerry, a British passenger on Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 from London that made an emergency landing in Bangkok due to turbulence. He, who boarded the plane to attend a wedding, said, "My wife and I hit our heads on the ceiling, and some passengers walking down the aisle did somersaults." He added, "There was no warning before the plane suddenly dropped," and "I consider ourselves lucky that no one in my family died."

Another passenger, Andrew Davis, said, "There were terrible screams and a 'thud' sound," and "Objects were flying in the air." He added, "I spilled my coffee," and "The turbulence was unbelievably severe." Another passenger, Zafran Azmir, also said, "Suddenly, the plane dropped sharply, and people who were not wearing seat belts were thrown up to the ceiling and then fell to the floor," adding, "Cell phones and shoes were flying around, and some passengers suffered serious head injuries or concussions."

The scene of Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 making an emergency landing at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand due to turbulence. [Image source=Sky News]

Photos from inside the plane that made the emergency landing in Bangkok show the cabin in complete chaos. Emergency oxygen masks were hanging everywhere, and various items including food and luggage were scattered on the floor. A video capturing the incident shows the plane suddenly making a 'thud' sound and shaking violently, accompanied by people's screams of "Ahh." A male passenger across the camera appears to have been thrown up to the ceiling, hitting his head before fastening his seat belt. Then, the overhead bin above the seats seemed to open, causing items to fall out in a heap. The camera recording the video also shook violently.

Interior view of Singapore Airlines flight SQ321, which made an emergency landing at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand due to turbulence. Various items spilled out.
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Focus on 'Clear-air turbulence' that suddenly occurs in clear skies... Frequency and intensity likely to increase due to climate warming

Local media reported that one person died and more than 70 were injured in the incident. The deceased was a 73-year-old British man, with the cause of death presumed to be a heart attack. Among the injured, seven were reported to have sustained serious injuries. There was one Korean passenger on board, but they were not included in the list of injured.

The flight, cruising at an altitude of 11,300 meters en route to Singapore the previous day, rapidly descended to 9,400 meters within five minutes over the Andaman Sea near Myanmar about 10 hours after takeoff. Numerous injuries occurred during this process, and the captain declared a medical emergency and made an emergency landing in Bangkok. Weather forecasting service Accuweather analyzed that "a rapidly developing thunderstorm along the route likely caused the severe turbulence."

Foreign media reported observations that the increasingly evident climate warming is increasing the frequency and intensity of such turbulence. Professor Paul Williams of the Department of Atmospheric Science at the University of Reading in the UK pointed out that the climate crisis could increase the occurrence of such turbulence. Professor Williams especially focused on the occurrence of 'Clear-air turbulence,' which suddenly happens in clear skies. Clear-air turbulence is known to occur unexpectedly without warning signs such as storms or clouds, making it difficult to avoid. The media urged that to reduce the risk of injury from turbulence, passengers should always wear seat belts while seated.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.