At least 50 injured after ‘technical problem’ on Latam flight from Sydney to Auckland

A Latam Airlines plane pictured in 2020. A “technical problem” caused strong movement on a Latam Airlines flight from Sydney to Auckland on March 11. PHOTO: REUTERS

WELLINGTON – At least 50 people travelling in a Latam Airlines flight from Sydney to Chile via Auckland suffered injuries on March 11 after a “technical problem” caused a “strong movement”, the New Zealand Herald reported, citing the airline.

It landed at Auckland airport as scheduled on March 11 afternoon, according to FlightAware. The newspaper quoted a passenger who said she experienced a “quick little drop” during the flight.

One person is in a serious condition while the rest had suffered mild-to-moderate injuries, a spokesperson for healthcare services firm Hato Hone St John, which treated roughly 50 people at the airport, said.

The aircraft is an eight-year-old Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, and stops in Auckland on its way to Santiago.

Boeing said it was working to gather more information and will provide any support to the airline.

A spokesperson for the South American airline told the Herald there had been a “technical problem” on flight LA800 that affected some crew and passengers.

The airline did not immediately respond to queries from Reuters about the cause and nature of the incident. REUTERS

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