Bangkok hospital says most seriously injured from turbulence-hit flight need spinal operations

Bangkok hospital says most seriously injured from turbulence-hit flight need spinal operations

Bangkok hospital says most seriously injured from turbulence-hit flight need spinal operations

A Bangkok hospital says many of the more seriously injured people who were on the Singapore Airlines flight that hit severe turbulence need operations on their spines

ByCHALIDA EKVITTHAYAVECHNUKUL Associated Press

May 23, 2024, 5:14 AM

    BANGKOK -- Many of the more seriously injured people who were on the Singapore Airlines flight that hit severe turbulence need operations on their spines, a Bangkok hospital said Thursday.

    Twenty people remained in intensive care and a 73-year-old British man died after the Boeing 777, which was flying from London’s Heathrow airport to Singapore, suddenly descended sharply after hitting the turbulence over the Andaman Sea on Tuesday.

    A public relations officer for Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital, which has treated more than 100 people hurt from the ordeal, told The Associated Press that other local hospitals have been asked to lend their best specialists to assist in the treatments. He asked not to be named because of hospital policy.

    Passengers have described the “sheer terror” of the aircraft shuddering, loose items flying and injured people lying paralyzed on the floor of the plane.

    It remains unclear what exactly caused the turbulence that sent the plane, which was carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members, on a 6,000-foot (around 1,800-meter) descent in about three minutes. The flight from London to Singapore was diverted to Thailand.

    In one of the latest accounts of the chaos on board, 43-year-old Malaysian Amelia Lim described finding herself face down on the floor.

    “I was so afraid ... I could see so many individuals on the floor, they were all bleeding. There was blood on the floor as well as on the people,” she told the online Malay Mail newspaper.

    The woman who had been seated next to her was “motionless in the aisle and unable to move, likely suffering from a hip or spinal injury," she added.

    The ICU patients included six Britons, six Malaysians, three Australians, two Singaporeans and one person each from Hong Kong, New Zealand, and the Philippines, Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital said. It said it had provided medical care to a total of 104 people.

    Thai authorities said the British man who died possibly had a heart attack. Passengers have described how the flight crew tried to revive him by performing CPR for about 20 minutes.

    Most people associate turbulence with heavy storms, but the most dangerous type is so-called clear air turbulence. Wind shear can occur in wispy cirrus clouds or even in clear air near thunderstorms, as differences in temperature and pressure create powerful currents of fast-moving air.

    According to a 2021 report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, turbulence accounted for 37.6% of all accidents on larger commercial airlines between 2009 and 2018. The Federal Aviation Administration, another U.S. government agency, has said there were 146 serious injuries from turbulence from 2009 to 2021.

    Tourism and aviation expert Anita Mendiratta, who is based in London, said the extreme turbulence was “extremely unusual.”

    She said passengers should listen to instructions to keep their seatbelts on, ensure that hand baggage is put away safely when not in use, and reduce items stowed in the overhead compartments.

    “When there is turbulence, those doors can open and all of the items up top, whether it’s our hand baggage, our jackets, our duty free items, they become movable and they become a risk to us all,” she told The Associated Press.

    ——-

    Associated Press writer Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia contributed to this report.

    OTHER NEWS

    28 minutes ago

    Swinney: Govt should remove barrier to passing Gender Reform bill

    30 minutes ago

    Sha'Carri Richardson will race for spot in Olympics after winning semifinals at US trials in 10.86

    30 minutes ago

    Remain alert as severe storms target southern Ontario on Sunday

    30 minutes ago

    Son seeks advice after parents install controversial landscaping method: 'I wasn't in favor of the idea'

    30 minutes ago

    Nuclear a ‘100-year’ plan unlike Labor’s ’15-to-20-year’ renewables

    30 minutes ago

    With the British summer as unpredictable as ever, here’s how you can bag a bargain holiday

    30 minutes ago

    Rains, cooler weather help firefighters gain ground on large wildfires in southern New Mexico

    39 minutes ago

    Noah Lyles wins opening round of men's 100m at US Olympic track and field trials

    44 minutes ago

    Boy, 12, dies at water park following ‘medical-related incident’: cops

    45 minutes ago

    What Happened To Kate Winslet After Titanic Is Heartbreaking & Gross

    45 minutes ago

    ‘Genius move’: Coalition will ‘win’ next election off of nuclear policy announcement

    45 minutes ago

    DOJ Should Do 4 Things if Aileen Cannon Dismisses Trump Case—Ex-Prosecutor

    45 minutes ago

    Rory McIlroy choke explained by sports psychologist as he skips £3.1m payday

    45 minutes ago

    Government to challenge native title claim over famous Aussie island

    48 minutes ago

    3 men die after becoming distressed while swimming at Florida beach

    51 minutes ago

    Trump blasts Biden’s America as ‘worst’ moment in US history during Philly rally

    51 minutes ago

    What Factors Influence The Planes That Airlines Order?

    51 minutes ago

    Steve Kerr on why LeBron James is more like Scottie Pippen than Michael Jordan: "That's what Michael did in his sleep"

    51 minutes ago

    Crichton stands out from pack to be on cusp of history

    51 minutes ago

    Trump in Philadelphia for Temple University rally ahead of debate in latest blue city stop

    51 minutes ago

    Khaadem has triumphed once again at Royal Ascot claiming Jubilee honours

    51 minutes ago

    Lando Norris reveals McLaren disruption extent following hospitality fire

    54 minutes ago

    Wheeler gets 9th win, Harper among 3 homers as Phillies rout Diamondbacks 12-1

    54 minutes ago

    Christopher Bell stays undefeated in NASCAR Xfinity Series at New Hampshire with 4th straight win

    54 minutes ago

    Blanco throws 7 strong innings and McCormick homers twice as Astros beat Orioles 5-1

    56 minutes ago

    Thousands of Michigan Residents Weather Days Without Power During Heat Wave

    56 minutes ago

    Ex-Devil Adam Henrique Continues to Add to Postseason Resume

    1 hour ago

    Iran overturns rapper Toomaj Salehi's death sentence for criticizing the government

    1 hour ago

    Video: Tom Cruise leads huge names including Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and Hugh Grant in the crowds at Taylor Swift's second Eras tour Wembley show

    1 hour ago

    Video: Gillian McKeith is 'scammed' out of hundreds of pounds after she and her daughter Afton try to buy Taylor Swift tickets

    1 hour ago

    Older People Who Use Psychedelics Show Fascinating Brain Functions

    1 hour ago

    This major champion made it to the weekend of 2024 KPMG Women's PGA playing with broken toe

    1 hour ago

    6 Best Neighborhoods to Stay in Paris—According to In-the-Know Locals

    1 hour ago

    Ultramarathon athlete awarded more than $13 million after falling on ‘perennially' wet Seattle sidewalk

    1 hour ago

    Climate activists are scaring children, former head of OFSTED warns

    1 hour ago

    Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 leak shows off AirPods-like design

    1 hour ago

    Lewis Hamilton ‘focused’ on fighting for a victory at F1 Spanish Grand Prix

    1 hour ago

    The power of theatre in helping young refugees process trauma

    1 hour ago

    Hospice nurse reveals three most SURPRISING things about death

    1 hour ago

    Namibian Pride: activists hail overturning of law that banned same-sex acts between men.