A Boeing-made plane traveling from Sydney to Auckland on Monday experienced a "strong movement" causing injuries to multiple passengers, authorities said. Some injured passengers required hospital treatment.
The exact cause of the mid-flight crisis remains unclear. LATAM, the South American airline operating the flight, said that a "technical event" occurred during the flight leading to the sudden movement, without providing further details.
According to the local ambulance service in Auckland, approximately 50 people received treatment at the scene.
Latam Airlines said that 10 passengers were transported to the hospital, with no critical injuries reported. However, the ambulance service told the Herald that they attended to 50 people, out of which 12 required hospitalization, with one person in serious condition.
In response to the cancellation of the onward flight to Santiago, Chile, the airline announced a replacement scheduled for Tuesday. Latam assured affected passengers of food and accommodation services due to the flight's cancellation.
The airline expressed deep regret for any inconvenience caused to its passengers and said that safety is a top priority within its operational standards.
The flight, identified as LATAM Airlines Flight LA800 and operated by a 787-9 Dreamliner, landed in Auckland at 4:26 p.m. local time (11:26 p.m. Sunday) after a 2-hour-42-minute flight duration. The exact number of passengers on board is unknown, but the Dreamliner's capacity ranges between 250 and 280 passengers.
In a statement, the airline said, "As a result of the incident, some passengers and cabin crew were affected. They received immediate help and were evaluated or treated by medical staff at the airport as needed."
