Singapore Airlines disruptions: Hospital says more than 20 people injured during flight suffer spinal injuries

CNN
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Among the dozens of people who were injured on Tuesday during Turbulence on board a Singapore Airlines plane From London, more than 20 people suffered spinal injuries, according to a hospital in Bangkok that treated some of them Passengers.

Adinon Kitratanapaipul, director of Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital in the Thai capital, told reporters on Thursday that he was treating 22 patients with spine and spinal cord problems, six with skull and brain injuries, and 13 others with bone, muscle or soft tissue complaints.

The doctor added that 17 patients underwent surgical operations, including spinal suturing operations.

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Flight SQ321 from London to Singapore was flying at 37,000 feet on Tuesday When the plane It fell sharply before rising Several hundred feet, according to flight tracking data. Then repeat the dip and rise for about a minute.

Many passengers were eating breakfast at the time of the accident. Video and photos from inside the plane after its emergency landing in Bangkok The photo showed the extent of the damage, with overhead compartments shattered and emergency oxygen air masks dangling above the seats.

A photo of one of the kitchens showed a section of the ceiling open and parts of the plane’s interior hanging down. Trays, containers, plastic bottles and pots of hot drinks can be seen scattered on the floor.

After the accident, the plane – which was carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew – was diverted to Bangkok, where ambulances and emergency response teams were waiting.

The hospital said earlier that among those injured on the plane were citizens of Australia, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Spain, the United States and Ireland.

Of the total 71 passengers reported infected on board, 55 remain hospitalized, including 40 at the Samitivej Srinakarin facility.

A 73-year-old British man with a heart condition died on the plane, although hospital officials have not confirmed his cause of death.

The man was later identified as Jeff Kitchen, who was described by Thornbury Musical Theater Group, an organization where he worked for more than 35 years, as “a gentleman always of the utmost honesty and integrity”.

Of the passengers and crew on the original flight, 143 people were flown to Singapore on a relief flight sent by Singapore Airlines on Wednesday morning.