THE horrific brain and spinal injuries suffered by the Singapore Airlines victims – including a two-year-old kid – have been revealed.
Doctors fear some of the passengers on the nightmare flight will never walk again as they declare they’ve “never seen anything like it”.
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Among some 41 people who still remain in Hospital today, 22 had spinal or spinal cord damage, six had skull or brain injuries and 13 had damage to bones or internal organs.
The 19 men and 22 women ranged in age from two years to 83 years, according to Samitivej Srinakarin hospital director, Adinun Kittiratanapaibool.
He said that the oldest patient at the hospital is 83 years old and the youngest a two-year-old child who suffered a concussion.
“We have never treated people with these kinds of injuries caused by turbulence,” Adinun added.
Asked about the prognosis for the most serious cases, Adinun told reporters it was too early to tell if any could suffer permanent paralysis, and doctors would have to observe whether muscle function recovered after surgery.
Flight SQ321, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew on board, including 47 Brits, took off from London Heathrow just after 10 pm on Monday May 20.
The packed aircraft was smashed by unexpected “severe turbulence” as flyers were tucking into breakfast, some 11 hours into the 13-hour flight to Singapore, officials said.
The mid-air tragedy saw the death of a British granddad, 73, and injured many more as the plane plunged 7,000ft in a six minute death drop.
Geoff Kitchen, 73, died of a heart attack as 18 others were sent to the hospital in neck braces and slings with some even being carried away on stretchers.
Shocking images showed food, drinks and cutlery strewn across the galley kitchens of the plane as it was violently thrown around.
Ceiling fittings were also ripped apart with pipework becoming dangerously exposed.
One panicked stewardess was even seen with blood pouring from her nose as onlooker Andrew Davies said another stricken woman was “screaming and absolutely covered in blood”.
Weather experts have claimed one of the causes of the terrifying ordeal was “explosive storms”.
AccuWeather, a top weather forecasting service said rapidly developing, explosive thunderstorms near the Boeing’s flight path is likely the cause of the violent turbulence.
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An unnamed pilot said thunderstorms in the Bay of Bengal are reasonably common as they claim to have been forced to fly away from a similar patch just 48-hours earlier.
Passenger accounts are still emerging but one man shared an emotional message he sent to his loved ones thinking it could be his final words.
Josh Barker’s text read: “I don’t want to scare you, but I’m on a crazy flight. The plane is making an emergency landing… I love you all.”
Mum Allison Barker described the agonising hours of waiting after that followed the chilling message from her son at 9.10am on Tuesday.
‘I love you all’, reads terrified passenger’s text
By Juliana Cruz Lima, Foreign News Reporter
A TERRIFIED passenger onboard the horror Singapore Airlines flight sent an emotional text as the Boeing jet plunged 7,000 feet during a deadly turbulence.
On his way to a holiday in Bali, traveller Josh texted what he thought could be his final words to his loved ones.
Mum Allison Barker described the hours of desperate wait after getting a chilling message from her son at 9.10 this morning.
“I don’t want to scare you, but I’m on a crazy flight. The plane is making an emergency landing… I love you all,” Josh’s text read.
Allison told the BBC: “‘It was terrifying. I didn’t know what was going on.
“We didn’t know whether he’d survived, it was so nerve wracking. It was the longest two hours of my life.
“It was awful; it was petrifying.”
When she finally got through to her son, Josh assured her he was safe.
But he confessed he had some minor injuries to his teeth, adding he was “in a lot of pain.”
Allison told the BBC: “‘It was terrifying. I didn’t know what was going on.
“We didn’t know whether he’d survived, it was so nerve wracking. It was the longest two hours of my life.
“It was awful; it was petrifying.”
When she finally got through to her son, Josh assured her he was safe.
But he confessed he had some minor injuries to his teeth, adding he was “in a lot of pain.”
Australian Teandra Tukhunen said she was asleep when she “was woken up because I was thrown to the roof and then to the floor” at Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital in Bangkok.
The 30-year-old, who had her left arm in a sling at the hospital, added that she was pushed to the roof before she had a chance to fasten her seatbelt.
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“It was just so quick, over in a couple of seconds and then you’re just shocked. Everyone’s pretty freaked out”.
“Life happens,” she replied when asked if it was scary.
Another shaken up passenger described people being thrown around the cabin so violently they put dents in the ceiling during the ordeal.
Singapore Airlines chief executive Goh Choon Phong has apologised for the “traumatic experience” and expressed condolences to the family of the deceased.
Singapore Airlines chief executive Goh Choon Phong has apologised for the “traumatic experience” and expressed condolences to the family of the deceased.
A relief flight took 131 passengers and 12 crew to Singapore’s Changi Airport on Wednesday to continue their journeys or return home.
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