One passenger died of a suspected heart attack, and 30 others were injured after a Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI) flight encountered severe turbulence on Tuesday, May 21. The turbulence caused passengers and crew to be flung around the cabin. The Boeing 777-300ER was diverted to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, where it made an emergency landing at 3:45 pm (08:45 GMT) on Tuesday.

The flight, traveling from London to Singapore, fell into an air pocket while the cabin crew were serving breakfast. This sudden turbulence led the pilots to request an emergency landing, said Kittipong Kittikachorn, the general manager of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, during a press conference.

The airline reported that 18 people were hospitalised, while 12 others were receiving treatment in hospitals. Samitivej Hospital stated it was treating 71 passengers, including six who were severely injured. There were 211 passengers and 18 crew members on board.

A 73-year-old British man died of suspected heart attack during the incident, Kittipong Kittikachorn said. Singapore’s Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said the government would provide assistance to the passengers and their families. He said, “I am deeply saddened to learn about the incident onboard Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 from London Heathrow to Singapore…My deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.”