West Country man died after severe turbulence on Singapore Airlines flight
A British holidaymaker who tragically died following a heart attack after severe turbulence on a Boeing 777 he was aboard has been named. Geoffrey Ralph Kitchen, aged 73, believed to be a resident of Thornbury, Gloucestershire, near Bristol, died on board the plane when the Singapore Airlines flight from Heathrow Airport hit severe turbulence.
An official of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, where the plane was forced to land, said that the Brit died of a suspected cardiac arrest. He added that seven other passengers were seriously injured, accompanied by dozens more sustaining minor injuries.
It is believed that Geoffrey, 73, encountered violent disruptions when the aircraft plunged into hazardous conditions at an elevation of 37,000ft above the Indian Ocean. flight going towards Singapore then executed an emergency landing at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport, reports Gloucestershire Live.
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Singapore Airlines said the flight encountered "sudden extreme turbulence" over Myanmar's Irrawaddy Basin at 37,000 feet about 10 hours after departure, with the pilot declaring a medical emergency and diverting the plane to Bangkok.
On board were 211 passengers and 18 crew members, including 47 UK passengers. Singapore Airlines stated: "Singapore Airlines flight SQ321, operating from London Heathrow to Singapore on May 20, encountered severe turbulence en route."
"We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board. Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased."
In a Tuesday afternoon social media update, Singapore Airlines revealed: "The nationalities of the passengers are as follows: 56 from Australia, two from Canada, one from Germany, three from India, two from Indonesia, one from Iceland, four from Ireland, one from Israel, 16 from Malaysia, two from Myanmar, 23 from New Zealand, five from the Philippines, 41 from Singapore, one from South Korea, two from Spain, 47 from the United Kingdom, and four from the United States of America."