SQ321 turbulence: Thai doctor says many injured passengers were seated at plane's rear end

One of the first medical responders to Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 after it landed at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport has revealed that the cabins towards the rear of the plane sustained the worst damage.

It was also where there were the most number of injured passengers, added the doctor, identified as Dr Wichanya.

SQ321, bound for Singapore from London's Heathrow Airport on May 21, had experienced extreme turbulence over the Irrawaddy Basin in Myanmar. The pilot then made an emergency landing at the Bangkok airport.

One passenger died and 104 people were injured. There were 211 passengers and 18 crew members on board.

In an interview with Thai PBS and translated by 8world, Dr Wichanya stated that as part of the medical team stationed at Suvarnabhumi Airport, she was given the information that the plane would be landing in 30 minutes and that there were many injured passengers on board.

The doctor, who has been stationed at the Thai international airport for 12 years, indicated that this is the first large-scale medical emergency that the facility has handled.

She immediately got to work preparing for the plane's arrival and activated the required medical personnel. She admitted, however, that she was initially sceptical when she'd heard about the number of injured people on board as the figure kept fluctuating.

After the plane landed, 10 minutes earlier than expected, Dr Wichyanya was one of the first to enter the cabin.

She described how the front cabins sustained little to no sign of damage. But as they walked towards the middle section, she noticed that there was more damage to the hardware as well as more injured passengers.

The area with the most damage and the most number of injured people was towards the rear of the plane, said Dr Wichanya.

She added that according to procedure, priority was given to evacuating those with minor and severe injuries, and moving them out of the plane for treatment and evaluation before transporting them to the hospital.

"The atmosphere in the cabin at the time was very quiet. The passengers were probably still in shock after the terrifying experience," Dr Wichanya said.

She added that the passengers were compliant and made way for the medical team.

However, the bad weather posed a challenge for everyone involved in the rescue efforts, said Dr Wichanya.

Emergency responders had to hurriedly set up tents on the tarmac within 20 minutes due to forecast of heavy rain, in order to ensure the comfort of evacuated passengers. This was about two hours after the plane had landed and operations were still underway.

Dr Wichanya also described the teamwork involved as akin to the 2018 cave rescue of 12 boys from a football team and their coach in Chiang Rai.

44 passengers still hospitalised in Bangkok

According to a Straits Times report on Sunday (May 26), 43 passengers and 1 crew member remain hospitalised in Bangkok.

34 passengers are warded at Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital as at noon on May 25. Another seven are at Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital and two are at Bangkok Hospital.

It was reported on May 24 that a Singaporean who was previously in the ICU at a Bangkok hospital has been discharged.

On May 22, more than 140 passengers and crew members arrived back in Singapore on a relief flight.

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