In breaking news today, twelve people, including six crew members, were injured when a Qatar Airways plane encountered severe turbulence on its flight from Doha to Dublin. This incident comes just five days after a deadly turbulence event on a Singapore Airlines flight.
 
Dublin Airport confirmed on social media that six passengers and six crew members were injured when the aircraft experienced turbulence while flying over Turkey. According to a statement from the airport, "Qatar Airways flight QR017 from Doha landed safely as scheduled at Dublin Airport shortly before 1 PM on Sunday. Upon landing, the aircraft was met by emergency services, including Airport Police and our Fire and Rescue department, due to six passengers and six crew members reporting injuries after the aircraft experienced turbulence while airborne over Turkey."
 
In a related incident, a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore, carrying 211 passengers, was forced to make an emergency landing in Bangkok. Severe turbulence during the flight resulted in the death of a 73-year-old British man and left 20 others in intensive care. Passengers and crew sustained serious injuries, including skull, brain, and spine injuries, as they were violently tossed around the cabin. Disturbing images from inside the plane show food and luggage scattered, and oxygen masks dangling from the ceiling.
 
Singapore's transport minister reported that investigators are analyzing the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder. Flight tracking data revealed that the Boeing 777-300ER plunged 1,800 meters, or 6,000 feet, in a matter of minutes, leaving passengers with little time to fasten their seatbelts.
 
In response to the tragedy, Singapore Airlines has tightened seatbelt rules and adopted a "more cautious approach" to turbulence.
 
A 2021 study by the US National Transportation Safety Board highlighted that turbulence-related accidents are the most common type of airline incident. Experts caution that passengers often neglect to wear seatbelts, putting them at significant risk during unexpected turbulence. The US agency found that turbulence accounted for over a third of reported airline accidents from 2009 to 2018, with most resulting in serious injuries but no aircraft damage.
 
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