Several people were injured on a Latam Airlines flight after a “technical event” caused a “strong movement”.
The aircraft “just froze” after a “quick little drop”, one passenger told the New Zealand Herald. Seven passengers and three crew members were taken to hospital after landing in Auckland, the airline said, adding that their injuries were not serious.
But emergency services said 12 people were taken to hospital, and one patient was in a serious condition.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner was travelling from Sydney to Auckland when the incident happened on Monday. Reports said multiple passengers felt the aircraft drop suddenly mid-flight. This threw some people out of their seats, causing them to hit their heads on the plane's ceiling.
“Latam deeply regrets any inconvenience and discomfort this situation may have caused its passengers, and reiterates its commitment to safety as a priority within the framework of its operational standards,” the airline said in a statement.
Details about the “technical event” or what caused it are still not known. Emergency response teams have been deployed to the airport. They said they had “assessed and treated approximately” 50 patients so far.
Some passengers were not wearing their seatbelts, Radio New Zealand reported, quoting one of those on board. Another passenger reported seeing people “flying around” and seeing traces of their blood on the ceiling.
The plane was scheduled to fly from Auckland to Santiago, the capital of Chile, where the South American carrier is headquartered. The flight has been cancelled and a new flight was scheduled for Tuesday, RNZ reported.
— CutC by bbc.com
