Severe turbulence

Boeing passenger: “People flew through the cabin!”

At least 50 people were injured in the incident.(Bild: Kawee - stock.adobe.com (Symbolbild))

A "technical problem" caused severe turbulence on board the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on Monday. At least 50 people were injured in the incident on a flight between Sydney in Australia and the New Zealand city of Auckland.

"People were flying through the cabin", Radio New Zealand (RNZ) quoted a passenger who was uninjured. Most of those affected were not wearing seatbelts at the time of the incident, he said.

The plane was able to land in Auckland as planned, but was due to fly on to Santiago de Chile in the evening. However, the flight was canceled and postponed until Tuesday. 

Dozens of injured people taken to hospital
The injured, including several crew members, were treated by doctors immediately after landing. The emergency services were on site with five ambulances. At least one person was seriously injured. More than a dozen passengers were taken to hospitals.

Problems at Boeing continue
In January, a fragment of the fuselage broke off shortly after take-off in an incident involving an almost new Boeing 737-8 Max operated by Alaska Airlines. The more than 170 people on board largely escaped with a fright. The US Department of Justice is investigating the case.