Singapore Airlines: One person dead and multiple injured after severe turbulence on plane from UK

Bradley Jolly & Ruth Suter
·2-min read
The plane is pictured after landing following its diversion
The plane is pictured after landing following its diversion -Credit:Mirror


A person has died while several others have been injured after a plane from London experienced severe turbulence.

A passenger onboard the Singapore Airlines flight to Singapore reportedly died earlier today. At least 20 others have been left injured, reports the Mirror.

The aircraft was forced to carry out an emergency landing in Thailand after it left the UK at 10.17pm on Monday, May 20. However, flight SQ321 reportedly experienced severe turbulence while entering airspace in the region, which is currently experiencing extreme tropical thunderstorms.

It was diverted to the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok where it made an emergency landing shortly before 4pm local time. It had been scheduled to land at the Singapore Changi Airport at 6.10 pm local time.

Ambulances were pictured on the tarmac next to the plane. Local media reported that one passenger had died and around 20 others were injured, leading to the emergency landing. Singapore Airlines has been approached for comment.

It is believed the flight left London Heathrow earlier today and encountered turbulence approximately one hour and a half from Singapore.

In a statement posted on social media, Singapore Airlines said: "Singapore Airlines flight #SQ321, operating from London (Heathrow) to Singapore on 20 May 2024, encountered severe turbulence en-route. The aircraft diverted to Bangkok and landed at 1545hrs local time on 21 May 2024.

"We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER. There were a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew on board. Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.

"Our priority is to provide all possible assistance to all passengers and crew on board the aircraft. We are working with the local authorities in Thailand to provide the necessary medical assistance, and sending a team to Bangkok to provide any additional assistance needed. We will provide regular updates on our Facebook and X accounts."

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest stories

  • Drivers warned that most car owners will be hammered with new £410 tax from next April

    New rules will see many drivers forced to pay additional tax on their vehicle from next year. The so-called 'luxury' car tax would see motorists forking out £410 each year

  • Boat crash near The Needles "could have been avoided", report rules

    The boat crashed after hitting the submerged wreckage of Varvassi.

  • Watch: Moment knife-wielding gang attack unfolds in back of taxi

    Dashcam video footage has captured the moment a knife-wielding gang attacked a man in the back of a taxi in east London.

  • Train drivers demand pay rise five times higher than inflation to end strikes

    Train drivers are demanding a 10 per cent pay rise to bring an end to ongoing strike action, The Telegraph can reveal.

  • New twist in row over e-bikes as London moves towards city-wide pavement parking ban

    Rules restricting ‘free-floating’ parking of e-bikes could be in place by 2026

  • 'Massive' crash at Swindon roundabout leaves car on its side

    A “massive accident” which left a car on its side was attended by emergency services yesterday evening.

  • Russian motorbike influencer Tatyana Ozolina dies in Turkey crash aged 38

    ‘MotoTanya’ was known for travelling around the world on her bike

  • Barges swept down raging river crash into bridge in Philippines

    A dramatic scene in Metro Manila, Philippines on Wednesday afternoon as several barges crashed into a bridge after being swept downstream by the raging Marikina River. Shocking footage captured the flat-bed vessels slamming into the bridge, with some getting stuck underneath and even sinking. Typhoon Gaemi has brought more intense monsoon rains to the region.

  • How you can follow the King’s lead and reduce your car’s fuel usage

    Leading by example is a life lesson we’re all taught. But for our monarch, King Charles III, it’s the opening sentence in the job description, particularly when it comes to sustainability.

  • Fears of automotive industry downturn as profits slide at Nissan and Stellantis

    Carmakers announce disappointing results, and production in UK revealed to have dropped

  • Ulez scrappage scheme that sends cars to Ukraine should be extended across the UK, ambassador says

    The Ulez scrappage scheme that sends used cars to Ukraine should be extended across the UK, the country’s ambassador has said.

  • ‘Britain’s wonkiest road’ finally gets go-ahead for repairs

    Work to fix one of Britain’s wonkiest roads has finally begun more than two years after it was broken up during Storm Eunice.

  • Bus service avoided road in Bradford estate due to 'incident'

    The 645 bus service is avoiding a road in a Bradford estate due to an "incident".

  • New Corvette ZR1 revealed: Inside the car's 'mind-blowing' specs

    Meet the 2025 Corvette ZR1. The ZR1 now holds the title for the "fastest and most powerful" Vette ever produced. Chevrolet's engineers pushed the boundaries of engine architecture with the ZR1, squeezing 1,064 horsepower and 828 lb-ft of torque from the 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8.

  • This Bonkers New All-Electric Sports Car Is Poised to Break the Porsche Taycan’s Track Record

    Xiaomi plans to make a run at the record with the SU7 Ultra this fall.

  • Warning to drivers using illegal shortcut to bypass major road closure

    Drivers have been warned against using an illegal shortcut to bypass a major road closure on the Isle of Wight.

  • Drivers delayed for four hours on Dartford Crossing after serious crash

    Drivers have been delayed for four hours after the M25 was closed due to a serious crash.

  • Paris Olympics: Huge arson attack on French rail network hits fans on way to Games

    Eurostar said journey times in both directions between London and Paris were expected to be delayed by up to 90 minutes

  • 'Sabotage' on French rail network before Olympics: What we know

    Arson attacks scrambled France's high-speed rail network for tens of thousands of passengers on Friday, after what officials called premeditated acts of "sabotage" just hours before the Paris Olympics opened.Friday's attacks were launched as the French capital was under heavy security ahead of the Games opening ceremony, with 300,000 spectators and an audience of VIPs expected at the event.- What was targeted?Fires that affected France's Atlantic, northern and eastern lines led to cancellations and delays at a time of particularly heavy traffic for summer holiday travel."Early this morning, coordinated and prepared acts of sabotage were perpetrated against installations of SNCF," the national rail operator, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said.SNCF chief executive Jean-Pierre Farandou said the attackers had started fires in "conduits carrying multiple (fibre-optic) cables" that carry "safety information for drivers" or control the motors for points.- Who is affected?Around 800,000 passengers are expected to be affected over the weekend as the damage is heavy and labour-intensive to repair.France's rail network was expected to be busy this weekend, not only due to the Olympics but also as people return from or leave for their summer holidays."There are huge and serious consequences for the rail network," added Attal.Passenger services chief Christophe Fanichet said there were delays of 90 minutes to two hours on services between Paris and France's north and east."We ask people please not to come to the station, because if you haven't heard from us, your train won't be running," Fanichet told reporters.One major branch of the network, the line to France's southeast, was spared.Multiple services between Paris and London via northern France were also cancelled, the Eurostar company said, with others suffering delays as they diverted on to lines not meant for high-speed trains.- What happens now?Farandou of SNCF said: "There's a huge number of bundled cables. We have to repair them one by one, it's a manual operation" requiring" hundreds of workers."At Paris's Montparnasse train station, passengers were waiting for information, with display boards showing delays of more than two hours.SNCF said there would be no trains at all from Montparnasse before 1:00 pm (1100 GMT)."Normal traffic is expected to resume on Monday, July 29," read one of the signs in the departure hall.Paris's RATP transport network was also operating under "increased vigilance" following the railway attacks, its chief executive Jean Castex said as he visited a control station. - Who are the culprits?SNCF CEO Farandou said that railway workers doing night maintenance in central France had spotted unauthorised people, who fled when the workers called in police.France's intelligence services were scrambling to determine the perpetrators of the sabotage, a security source told AFP. The arson method used resembled past attacks by extreme-left actors, the source added.In September, arson attacks on conduits holding railway cables caused travel chaos in northern Germany, with a claim of responsibility posted to an extreme-left website.- What legal action is being taken?Paris prosecutors opened a probe into a suspected bid to undermine "fundamental national interests," Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said in a statement.The investigation will also probe suspected damage inflicted by an organised gang and attacks on an automated data processing system.Her statement described the acts of sabotage as "deliberate damage caused to sites of SNCF on the night of July 25-26, 2024."burs-tgb-sjw/as/jj

  • Saboteurs launch ‘malicious’ arson attack on France’s rail networks hours before Paris Olympics

    France ‘under attack’ as up to 800,000 passengers to face travel chaos with authorities vowing to punish perpetrators