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50 injured as Boeing plane suffers sudden drop on flight from Sydney

Boeing 777 aircraft

Airlines already feeling the impact have started delaying flights and increasing fares for flights across the country

At least 50 people were hurt on Monday mostly with minor injuries, after a “technical problem” caused a “strong drop” during a flight from Sydney to Auckland, Latam Airlines told the New Zealand Herald.

Latam Airlines flight LA800, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, landed at Auckland airport as scheduled on March 1, according to FlightAware. The flight normally stops in Auckland on its way to Santiago, Chile.

A spokesman for the South American airline told the newspaper that there had been a “technical problem” on the flight that affected some crew and passengers, without providing further details.

Hato Hone St John ambulance treated roughly 50 people at the airport, a spokesperson told Reuters. One patient is in a serious condition, and the remainder had suffered mild to moderate injuries, they added.

The NZ Herald quoted a passenger who said she experienced a “quick little drop” during the flight.

Boeing and Latam did not immediately respond to questions from Reuters about the cause and nature of the incident.

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