50 injured on Australia-New Zealand flight

Dozens of people have been injured by what officials described as a “strong movement” on a Chilean flight from Australia to New Zealand.

In a statement on Monday, Chilean LATAM Airlines blamed the injuries on “a technical event during the flight which caused a strong movement”. It is just the latest in a series of safety-related incidents to feature a Boeing plane.

Passengers were met by paramedics when the LATAM Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner touched down in Auckland. It was not immediately clear what caused the incident.

About 50 people were treated at the scene, mostly for mild injuries. Twelve were taken to hospital, an ambulance spokesperson said, with one believed to be in serious condition.

It is been a turbulent week for Boeing, with the US plane maker suffering a series of safety-related issues.

On March 4, an engine fire forced a Boeing 737 to make an emergency landing in Houston, Texas shortly after takeoff. United Airlines said the engine ingested some plastic bubble wrap that was on the airfield prior to departure.

Two days later, fumes in the cabin of a Boeing 737-800 forced an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon.

On Thursday, a tyre fell off a Boeing 777-200 after takeoff in San Francisco, destroying a car. The plane was bound for Japan but diverted to Los Angeles where it landed safely.

A day later, a Boeing 737 MAX rolled off the runway in Houston and got stuck in grass. (Aljazeera)

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