Sydney to Auckland LATAM Airlines incident: 24 people injured on board Flight LA800

More than 20 people have been injured on a Latam Airlines flight from Sydney to Auckland on Monday afternoon, with several emergency personnel and vehicles involved in the response.

St John’s Ambulance crews treated 24 people at the scene, eight of whom were found to be in a moderate condition and 16 in a minor condition.

Two patients were transported to the nearby Middlemore Hospital, nine kilometers away.

“We were notified at 3.58pm (local time) and are currently on the scene with four ambulances, two operations managers, a major incident vehicle, a command unit and two rapid response vehicles,” a St John statement said.

A woman who was on flight LA800 said she experienced a ‘quick little drop’ during the flight.

“I used to be a flight attendant and this is the first time I’ve ever… the whole plane just froze,” she shared. NZ Herald.

An Auckland Airport spokesman said its emergency response team assisted St John following a request for medical attention.

In a statement, Latam Airlines said the flight ‘had an in-flight technical problem which caused a heavy movement’ but that the aircraft landed as planned.

‘As a result of the incident, some passengers and cabin crew were affected. They received immediate assistance and were evaluated or treated by airport medical personnel as needed.

“Latam regrets the inconvenience and harm this situation may have caused its passengers and reiterates its commitment to safety as a priority within its operational standards.”

More on the way…