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Up to 12 Australians who were on the London-to-Singapore flight that suffered extreme turbulence this week remain in two hospitals in Bangkok, including three receiving critical care.
They are among more than 50 passengers from the Boeing 777 Singapore Airlines flight who are still being treated for injuries sustained when the aircraft suddenly dropped at 37,000 feet.
A 73-year-old British man died on the flight.
The first flight carrying passengers who were on board SQ321 landed at Sydney Airport on Wednesday afternoon, with several flights landing in Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne later in the day.
One Adelaide man who was on board the aircraft after a holiday in the UK said his wife could be in Bangkok’s Samitivej Srinakarin hospital for weeks, and said she “wasn’t in a good way”.
The man, who declined to be named, said she was among the passengers standing up at the time that the plane suddenly dropped.
Hospital officials say doctors have performed surgery on more than 10 patients since Tuesday’s flight, which made an emergency landing at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Initially, more than 100 of the 229 passengers and crew onboard the aircraft needed medical care.
But those with less serious injuries have started being discharged.
“The seatbelt sign came on very suddenly and then ‘boom’, I just woke up on the floor not knowing what had hit me”, said passenger Josh Silverstone from London.
He had been taken to hospital suffering concussion, cuts and a chipped tooth and said he was relatively lucky.
“A lot of people have got spinal issues from hitting their heads, I’ve heard a lot of people can barely move their back, I’m very fortunate to come out here barely 24 hours later”, he said.
The 24-year-old plans to continue with a planned holiday to Bali.
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“I’m not looking forward to [the flight] but hopefully there’s not too much turbulence”, he said.
A Spanish man being treated for back injuries in the same hospital said he and his wife, who was uninjured, planned to continue their honeymoon once he was discharged.
The couple were flying to Singapore to then connect onwards to New Zealand, but plan to continue the trip.
Chief Executive Officer of Singapore Airlines Got Choon Phong has expressed his condolences to the family of the British passenger who died.
“We are very sorry for the traumatic experience that everyone onboard SQ321 went through”, he said, pledging to keep assisting the passengers and family members remaining in Bangkok for medical treatment.
The company says 131 passengers and 12 crew have since been flown to Singapore on a relief flight.
