One passenger died, dozens injured due to turbulence on London-Singapore flight (12 photos + 1 video)
A Singapore Airlines plane en route from London to Singapore encountered intense turbulence. There were 211 passengers and 18 crew members on board. Jeff Kitchen, 73, suffered a heart attack at the time of the incident. The man could not be revived. 
Flight SQ321 took off from London Heathrow on the evening of May 20. 11 hours later, while the flight attendants were serving breakfast, the plane encountered severe turbulence. 
Jeff Kitchen is dead, his wife is hospitalized
Geoff, from Thornbury, Gloucestershire, went on a six-week trip to Singapore, Indonesia, Japan and Australia with his wife Linda.
Steve Diamond, a neighbor and friend of the victim, said: "We are very upset. My wife is crying. He was a nice man. They were going on a big tour of Singapore, Indonesia, Japan and Australia. They have a son and a daughter."
In recent years, the former insurance company employee had heart problems and received stents.
Steve added: "You wouldn't have guessed it, he was his usual self, healthy and active. He was into amateur drama and was helping me build the sets for our new production. He was a good singer, a great actor."
"He met his future wife at school. They were a wonderful couple."
Boeing said: "We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved family and our thoughts are with the passengers and crew."
The Singapore Airlines flight was diverted to Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok.
The Boeing 777-300ER fell from an altitude of 11,582 meters to 9,448 meters in the Andaman Sea as it approached Thailand, according to flight tracking system FlightRadar24.
Dzafran Azmir, a 28-year-old student, said: "Suddenly the plane began to tilt and began to shake. And suddenly there was a very sharp fall, and everyone who was not wearing a seat belt was thrown up to the ceiling."
Many were injured, including the flight attendants, who persevered and did their best.
"Passengers with medical training helped as best they could. They performed artificial respiration on the gentleman who died. They asked him to bring a defibrillator," Azmir added.
At Bangkok airport, the plane was met by 13 ambulances.
A Singapore Airlines spokesman said: "We can confirm that there are injuries and one death on board the Boeing 777-300ER. 18 people have been taken to hospital and a further 12 are being treated in hospitals. The remaining passengers and crew are being assessed. Singapore Airlines expresses its deepest condolences "Our first priority is to provide assistance to all passengers and crew. We are cooperating with the Thai authorities to provide the necessary medical assistance and are sending a team to Bangkok to provide any necessary assistance."
Severe tropical thunderstorms have hit the region this week, local media reported.
