British passenger dies after Singapore airliner hits severe turbulence

A 73-year-old British passenger has died after a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 hit severe turbulence on a flight from London and was forced to make an emergency landing in Bangkok on Tuesday, airport authority from Thailand said. 

General Manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport Kittipong Kittikachorn told media at a news briefing that the UK citizen is believed to have suffered from a heart illness, but an autopsy is needed to confirm his condition. 

Apart from the deceased, he said seven people were severely injured.

Singapore Airlines earlier said flight SQ321, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew on board, encountered sudden extreme turbulence at 37,000 feet (around 11,277 meters) about 10 hours after departure. The pilot declared a medical emergency and diverted the aircraft to Bangkok, landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport at 3:45 p.m. local time on Tuesday. 

Kittikachorn told reporters that the turbulence is believed to have occurred during mealtime, saying it was the first case of its kind related to turbulence that the Thai international airport has seen.

Singapore Airlines said a team is on its way to Bangkok to provide any additional assistance needed. The Singaporean transport authority said it's investigating the accident and will send investigators to Bangkok. 

Aircraft manufacturer Boeing also issued a statement after the accident, saying it's in contact with Singapore Airlines regarding flight SQ321 and stands ready to provide support. 

According to Singapore Airlines, there are 56 passengers from Australia, 47 from the UK, 41 from Singapore, 23 from New Zealand, 16 from Malaysia, five from the Philippines, four each from Ireland and the U.S., three from India, two each from Canada, Indonesia, Myanmar, Spain, and one each from Germany, Iceland, Israel and South Korea.