46 passengers, 2 crew members from turbulence-hit SQ321 still being treated in Bangkok hospitals: SIA

SINGAPORE - Forty-six passengers and two crew members aboard the SIA flight that hit severe turbulence and had to make an emergency landing in Bangkok on May 21 remain in the Thai capital for medical treatment.

Singapore Airlines, in a Facebook post at 9.31pm on May 23, said that meant a total of 65 passengers and two crew members from Flight SQ321 are still in Bangkok.

It added that SIA chief executive Goh Choon Phong has been “meeting the affected passengers, crew, their family members and loved ones in Bangkok today to personally offer his support and to understand their concerns”.

Also, customer care representatives, who are staff volunteers with training to handle such situations, have been deployed to provide updates to passengers, and to help them if needed.

Mr Goh said: “We have also facilitated the travel of their family members and loved ones to Bangkok and ensured that they are taken care of too.”

He also thanked the staff at Bangkok Hospital, Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital, and Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital, where the injured passengers and crew are believed to be hospitalised.

Earlier in the day, Dr Adinun Kittiratanapaibool, director of Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital, said 20 people remain in intensive care, although none were life-threatening cases.

The oldest patient at the hospital is 83, while the youngest is a two-year-old child who got a concussion.

He added that there are a total of 40 patients from Flight SQ321 at the hospital - among whom 22 have spinal cord injuries, and six have brain and skull injuries.

Flight SQ321, which was heading to Singapore from London, experienced sudden extreme turbulence on May 21 over the Irrawaddy Basin in Myanmar. One passenger - 73-year-old Briton Geoffrey Kitchen - died while dozens were injured.

The pilot diverted the Boeing 777-300ER carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport at 3.45pm (4.45pm Singapore time) after declaring a medical emergency before making an emergency landing.

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