Over 20 injured in turbulent Singapore Airlines flight suffer spinal cord injuries, says hospital

(CNN) — More than 20 people aboard a Singapore Airlines plane that hit severe turbulence on Tuesday are in intensive care with spinal cord, brain and skull injuries, according to a Bangkok hospital treating some of the passengers.

Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital in the Thai capital is treating 22 patients with spine and spinal cord problems, six with cranial and brain injuries, and another 13 for bone, muscle or soft tissue diseases, its director told reporters this Thursday.

The doctor said that 17 patients underwent surgery, ranging from stitches to spinal operations. One person died in the incident.

Passengers who spoke to the media after the plane’s emergency landing in Bangkok described how some passengers and crew members were thrown across the cabin, hitting their heads on the overhead luggage compartment, and that they saw people in shock with bleeding wounds on their faces.

Josh Silverstone, one of the passengers on the Singapore Airlines flight, said he felt “happy to be alive” as he left hospital on Wednesday night.

Speaking to reporters as he evacuated, a 24-year-old Briton said he suffered a cut on his eye and a broken tooth as a result of the turbulence, but many passengers were in far worse physical condition.

Silverstone described the aftermath of the emergency landing in Bangkok, saying she began vomiting, which forced her to seek medical attention.

According to flight tracking data, Flight SQ321 from London to Singapore was flying at 37,000 feet on Tuesday when the plane began a rapid descent before climbing several hundred feet. It then descended and climbed repeatedly for about a minute.

Many passengers were having breakfast at the time of the incident. Video and images from inside the plane after the emergency landing in Bangkok showed the extent of the damage, with overhead bins destroyed and emergency oxygen masks hanging from seats.

A photo of one of the kitchens shows an open ceiling with aircraft interiors hanging from it. Trays, containers, plastic bottles and jugs of hot drinks can be seen scattered on the floor.

Following the incident, the plane carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew was diverted to Bangkok, where ambulances and emergency response teams were waiting.

The hospital had earlier said those injured on the flight included citizens of Australia, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Spain, the United States and Ireland.

Of the total 104 passengers injured on the flight, 55 are admitted to hospital.

A 73-year-old British man suffering from heart disease died on the plane, although hospital authorities have not confirmed the cause of his death.

The man was later identified as Geoff Kitchen, who was described as “always an extremely honest and loyal gentleman” by the Thornbury Musical Theatre Group, where he had worked for more than 35 years.

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