SQ321 incident: 44 people remain hospitalised in Bangkok

SINGAPORE – A total of 44 people injured during severe air turbulence on Singapore Airlines’ Flight SQ321 on May 21 remain hospitalised, said Singapore Airlines in a Facebook post on May 25.

Its latest update at about 8.30pm that day said 43 passengers and one crew member are being treated in Bangkok hospitals.

Earlier in the day, the Bangkok hospital treating most of the passengers said that 43 passengers remain in hospital.

According to an update from Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital, 34 passengers remain on its premises as at noon on May 25. Another seven are at Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital and two are at Bangkok Hospital.

The 34 at Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital – comprising 15 men and 19 women – hail from countries such as Australia, Britain, Malaysia and the Philippines. Seven of them were in the intensive care unit (ICU).

The hospital added that two patients have been discharged from Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital, while two patients transferred from Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital to Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital to join their hospitalised relatives.

It was

reported on May 24

that a Singaporean who was previously in the ICU at a Bangkok hospital has been discharged.

Samitivej is a group of private hospitals that typically serves Bangkok’s higher-income and expatriate population. 

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 after declaring a medical emergency, before

making an emergency landing

at 3.45pm (4.45pm Singapore time).