(Reuters) – There was little warning of the chaos that was to come as passengers on Singapore Airlines (OTC:) Flight SQ321 relaxed after reaching Singapore in just three hours after a long flight from London.
But as the Boeing (NYSE:) 777-300R flew over Myanmar, it suddenly encountered severe turbulence, leaving passengers, flight attendants, in-flight catering and kettles scattered throughout the cabin.
“Suddenly the plane began to tilt and began to shake,” said Malaysian student Dzafran Azmir.
The 28-year-old man pulled himself together and checked that his seat belt was fastened. He did. Many other passengers did not, he said.
“There was a very sudden fall, so everyone who was sitting and not wearing a seat belt was immediately thrown towards the ceiling, some people hit their heads on the luggage compartments overhead and dented them, they hit the places where there are lights and masks and broke through through it.” “Azmir told Reuters.
One passenger died of a suspected heart attack and at least 30 were injured after the flight encountered what the airline called sudden severe turbulence about 10 hours into the flight as it passed over the southern tip of Myanmar.
According to flight data provider FlightRadar 24, at 07:49 GMT the flight experienced a “rapid change in vertical speed consistent with the sudden onset of turbulence.”
“This all happened in less than 10 seconds,” Azmir said. “People were falling to the ground, the phone flew out of my hand and flew a couple of aisles to the side, people’s shoes were flying.”
Oxygen masks hung from the ceiling of the plane, parts of which had fallen or were dented and broken.
Witnesses said trash, including fruit salad, teapots and trays of in-flight food, was strewn throughout the cabin.
Turbulence (or pockets of disturbed air) can have many causes. Singapore Airlines did not specify what type they were talking about.
The weather report calls for severe thunderstorms in the area.
“It was cloudy outside, completely white,” Azmir said.
The pilot declared a medical emergency and diverted the plane to Bangkok, landing about an hour later where he was met by a huge number of ambulances and emergency workers.
“The crew and the people in the toilets were hit the hardest… There were a lot of spinal and head injuries,” Azmir said.
Emergency crews lifted injured passengers overhead on stretchers through narrow passages while other passengers remained seated.
As the passenger filmed himself walking through the carnage to disembark, a voice can be heard saying: “There are still people on the ground.”
Medical tents were set up on the runway to examine the wounded; some are strapped to stretchers, some are in wheelchairs.
The passengers and crew who were not being treated in Thai hospitals were flown to Singapore early on Wednesday and were greeted by Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Chun Fong on arrival.
“No, we’re very lucky,” one passenger said upon arrival in Singapore when asked if they were injured.