Emergency services rushed to Auckland International Airport after a "technical problem" caused mass injuries to travellers on a plane landing from Sydney.
Around 50 passengers were injured on the horror flight which is believed to have suddenly dropped in the air.
St John was called to the airport at 3:58pm on Monday after an inbound flight from Sydney requested medical support. It 14 units including seven ambulances, two operations managers, two Major Incident Support Team vehicles, one Command Unit, and two rapid response vehicles.
A St John spokesperson initially told Newshub staff treated 24 patients at the scene, however, in a later update they confirmed approximately 50 patients had been treated. One patient was in a serious condition and the remainder were in a moderate to minor condition.
Twelve patients have been transported to hospital, 10 of whom were taken to Middlemore Hospital, including the patient in a serious condition. One patient was transported to Auckland City Hospital in a moderate condition, and one patient was taken to Starship Hospital in a moderate condition.
The flight's carrier the Chilean airline LATAM told Newshub the people taken to the hospital were a mixture of passengers and cabin crew members.
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A spokesperson for LATAM said the flight LA800 had a "technical problem" which caused "strong movement".
It is believed the strong movement the plane experienced was a sudden drop.
"The plane landed at Auckland Airport as scheduled. As a result of the incident, some passengers and cabin crew were affected. They received immediate assistance and were evaluated or treated by medical staff at the airport as needed," a spokesperson told Newshub.
An Auckland Airport emergency service team also responded to the medical emergency.
A police spokesperson said they were aware of the incident.
LATAM said following the cancellation of the flight, a new flight (LA1130) has been scheduled for March 12 departing from Auckland at 8pm, bound for Santiago, Chile.
"LATAM deeply regrets any inconvenience and discomfort this situation may have caused its passengers, and reiterates its commitment to safety as a priority within the framework of its operational standards," the spokesperson said.
LATAM is providing affected passengers with food and accommodation services due to the flight cancellation.
A Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesperson told Newshub the incident has not yet been formally reported to CAA, although they would expect this to happen in the coming days.
"When the report is received we will work with the operator to understand exactly what happened and why, to determine whether any subsequent actions are necessary from a safety perspective," the spokesperson.
