The man who died when a Singapore Airlines jet encountered extreme turbulence and made an emergency landing has been identified as a British passenger named Jeffrey Kitchen, 73, reports said. guardian.
Suvarnabhumi Airport general manager Kittipong Kittikachorn said Mr Kitchen “likely” died of a heart attack, while seven other people seriously injured in the incident suffered head injuries.
Mr Kitchen, who was heading to Singapore from Heathrow Airport on Monday's 10pm flight, is a retired insurance professional turned amateur theater performer.
The paper said Kitchen's neighbors said he and his wife were planning to enjoy a six-week holiday after stopping on their way to Australia.
Originally from Bristol, Kitchen moved to his current semi-detached home in 2012 and has lived in Thornbury, Gloucestershire, for most of his life.
He leaves behind a wife, a daughter who lives in Wales, and a son who runs a window cleaning business.
A close friend and neighbor of Jill Dimond in the kitchen said: guardian“He was a beloved man. He was smart, funny, a great performer and deeply loved theater. Theater was his passion.”
Mr. and Mrs. Kitchen and Mr. and Mrs. Dimond went for a walk, and Mr. and Mrs. Kitchen had been guests of Mr. and Mrs. Dimond last week.
The publication said Kitchen appeared in Dick Whittington's pantomime last Christmas, and after retiring he founded the Thornbury Musical Theater Group, which is scheduled to perform in 2024.
Armstrong Hall had previously been used for theatrical productions, but Kitchen had been campaigning for its reopening in Thornbury some time ago.
according to guardianKitchen wrote in an open letter published last year: “Without this facility, our communities are made even poorer. And the creative forces that have existed for so many years are at risk of decline.” We need to get our lives back and this is very urgent right now.”
Another neighbor, who expressed sadness over Mr Kitchen's death, said: “I knew him as a neighbor. His son cleans my windows. Very much. I'm shocked,'' he said.
Singapore Airlines did not say at what point the injuries or deaths occurred, but one passenger said turbulence caused a passenger who was not wearing a seatbelt to hit the cabin overhead.
After taking off from London and flying for around 11 hours, the plane had just crossed the Andaman Sea and was approaching Thailand when it suddenly descended from an altitude of around 37,000 feet to 31,000 feet in just five minutes.
The pilot then declared a medical emergency and redirected the plane to Bangkok, where it landed on May 21.
issued May 22, 2024 06:37 IST
