The extreme turbulence on Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight SQ321 — which left one passenger dead from a suspected heart attack and dozens injured — has inflicted psychological scars on those who survived, it emerged on Sunday.

One passenger, describing the ordeal as “quite scary”, declared that he may not fly again for a while. Another said he threw up after waking up on the plane floor, following the turbulence, to the sound of people crying and the sight of blood, The Straits Times newspaper reported.

The aircraft, which left London’s Heathrow Airport for Singapore on May 21, experienced extreme turbulence for 62 seconds over the Irrawaddy Basin around 10 hours after departure.

The pilot then diverted the plane carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport after declaring a medical emergency, before making an emergency landing at 3.45pm.

Mental health professional Amanda Oh, founder of Budding Space, said a traumatic experience can make it difficult for a person to understand or process a situation, much like “an indigestion in the mind”.

“For such a unique experience as what the passengers had to go through, it would be an extremely overwhelming experience for anybody,” the broadsheet quoted Dr. Oh as saying. This could cause psychological pain and physiological distress.

Those who were on board the flight could experience mental health issues, including acute stress disorder (ASD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety disorders.

The passengers on SQ321 included 41 Singaporeans, with the remaining 170 from countries such as Australia, India, Malaysia, New Zealand and Britain.

The dead passenger has been identified as a 73-year-old Briton, Geoff Kitchen. He was a retired insurance professional and musical theatre director at the time of his death, according to British media reports.

A total of 41 passengers remain hospitalised across three hospitals in Bangkok, according to the latest update from Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital on Sunday.

Dr. Annabelle Chow — the principal clinical psychologist at Annabelle Psychology — said that up to a month after the incident, those affected may experience ASD, which includes symptoms such as recurrent and involuntary flashbacks, appetite and sleep changes, as well as memory gaps.

However, they may be diagnosed with PTSD instead if symptoms persist past the one-month mark. PTSD has been known to affect a person’s social functioning and physical well-being, said Dr. Chow.

One may also develop an anxiety disorder, and experience panic attacks and physiological responses like a rapid heartbeat, sweating and nausea.

Aircraft returns

The turbulence-hit aircraft returned to Singapore on Sunday, five days after its emergency landing in Bangkok, Channel News Asia (CNA) reported.

“SIA obtained the necessary approvals from the relevant authorities in Singapore and Thailand, the investigators, and the aircraft manufacturer, and the aircraft was cleared by our engineering and flight operations teams, before departure,” Singapore Airlines told CNA.

12 hurt in Dublin flight

Twelve people were injured when a Qatar Airways plane flying from Doha to Dublin on Sunday hit turbulence, airport authorities said.

Dublin Airport said in a statement that the plane landed safely as scheduled before 1pm (1200 GMT).

“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...reporting injuries after the aircraft experienced turbulence while airborne over Turkey,” the statement said.

The airport did not provide details on the severity of the injuries.