Over 30 Plane Passengers Injured In Turbulence Incident - Reports

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th December, 2022) More than 30 people, including a 14-month-old baby, were injured on a Hawaiian Airlines flight that experienced turbulence before landing in the state's capital of Honolulu, local media report.

The "mass casualty emergency" occurred on Sunday morning, on Hawaiian Airlines flight 35, which was bound for Honolulu from Phoenix and had a total of 278 passengers and 10 crew members on board, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser said citing Hawaiian Airlines spokesperson Alex Da Silva.

Honolulu Emergency Medical Services spokesperson Shayne Enright told the newspaper in an email that the plane encountered severe turbulence about 30 minutes before landing at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.

A total of 36 people, 20 of them between adult age and 14 months old, were treated by medical services upon arrival, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser said. Eleven were in serious condition and nine were in stable condition with injuries ranging from serious head injuries, lacerations, bruising and loss of consciousness.

Hawaiian Airlines COO Jon Snook said as cited by the newspaper on Sunday that it was unclear how many people on board the plane were wearing seatbelts at the time of the turbulence.

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting an investigation into the incident.