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A British Airways (BA) flight bound for London was forced to return to Singapore after facing severe turbulence.
BA12 left Changi Airport at 11:20pm on Jun. 15, 2023, and was over the Bay of Bengal when it was diverted back to Singapore.
Screenshot via Flightradar24
Five BA crew suffered "serious injuries", and passengers "screamed in terror", said the British tabloid The Sun.
The majority of the crew have returned to London, and BA have sent an additional team out to Singapore to assist with medical support, said the airlines in a statement.
Flight experienced a "rare episode of severe turbulence"
Responding to Mothership's queries, BA confirmed that BA12 returned to Singapore as a precaution after facing a "rare episode of severe turbulence".
BA shared that occurrences like this are rare, but customers are always advised to wear their seatbelts while seated as a precaution, even when the "fasten seatbelt" signs are off.
"We apologised to customers for the delay to their flight and provided them with hotel accommodation and information on their consumer rights," said BA.
"We're rebooking customers onto the next available flights with us and other airlines."
Five crew members were injured
However, The Sun reported that the injuries sustained by the crew members were "horrendous".
One stewardess needed an MRI of her hip after severe bruising. Another was still in the hospital on Jun. 16, 2023, following surgery on their ankle and femur.
A source told The Sun that "the airline [had] not experienced anything like this in the last five years".
"From nowhere, the plane was shaking as it suddenly dropped five feet and rose again in uncomfortable jerked motions. There were screams from the passengers and great upset through the cabins," said the source.
The source also said to The Sun that the area they flew over is where the winds would make flying "uncomfortable", but the severity of the turbulence was "obscene".
BA did not share any details regarding the crew or passengers.
Top photos via Unsplash & Flightradar24