OFW injured in turbulent Singapore Airlines flight to undergo neck surgery — DMW

MANILA, Philippines — An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) injured on board a Singapore Airlines flight that hit severe turbulence will undergo surgery for a neck fracture, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) reported on Thursday. 

The DMW said the Singapore-based OFW suffered a neck fracture and back injuries after Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 encountered "sudden extreme turbulence" over Myanmar on Tuesday ten hours into its journey from London to Singapore. 

The migrant worker also sustained back injuries, but details on their treatment remain unavailable. 

The DMW described her condition as "sensitive" but stable, and said the government is making arrangements for a family member to join her as she recovers at a hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, where the plane made an emergency landing. 

The high-altitude plunge left an elderly passenger dead due to suspected heart attack and over 100 people, including five Filipinos, injured. 

The DMW also reported the United Kingdom-based Filipina nurse, her two-year-old son, and her husband are in stable condition. 

The fifth Filipino passenger, a 62-year-old male, was confined at a hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) after becoming unconscious. 

The department said doctors are monitoring his condition, and a nephew based in Bangkok is assisting him. 

Singapore Airlines is covering all the expenses of the affected passengers. The plane was carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members.

"On behalf of Singapore Airlines, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased passenger. We also deeply apologize for the trauma experienced by all passengers and crew members on this flight," Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong said. — Gaea Katreena Cabico with report from Agence France-Presse