Key Points: What’s behind the story?
One of today’s biggest trending stories is a report on the British man who died on board a Singapore Airlines flight hit by severe turbulence.
What happened on the Singapore Airlines death flight
The plane was travelling from London to Singapore with some 211 passengers and 18 crew on board – including 47 people from the UK.
The Singapore Airlines flight was hit by severe turbulence. Seven other passengers were critically injured, while dozens more suffered minor injuries.
One person – a 73-year-old British man – has died of a suspected heart attack after the plane encountered a sudden drop in altitude – leading to what passengers have called scenes of “absolute terror”.
He has been named as Geoff Kitchen.
About 10 hours into its flight, the plane encountered “sudden extreme turbulence” over Myanmar’s Irrawaddy Basin, according to an airline official.
Passengers have described chaotic scenes on board, with people and objects suddenly launched across the cabin.
The head of Singapore Airlines, Goh Choon Phong, has apologised, saying the airline was “very sorry for the traumatic experience” for those onboard flight SQ321.
He expressed his condolences to the family of the victim, adding that they would “render all possible assistance” to affected passengers and crew members.
The airline, he said, was “fully cooperating with relevant authorities on the investigations”.
Crazy footage shows the aftermath of a Singapore Airlines plane that suffered extreme turbulence during a flight from London. Tragically, one person, a 73-year-old British man, died, "likely" from a heart attack.
— Morbid Knowledge (@Morbidful) May 21, 2024
53 passengers and one crew member were also Injured during the… pic.twitter.com/ccNbLJtIc2