Ten hurt after plane hit with turbulence from Brisbane to Hong Kong

Ten people have been injured after turbulence hit a plane flying to Hong Kong from Brisbane.

Four passengers and six crew were among those hurt after the plane "encountered turbulence", Cathay Pacific confirmed.

Two Australians were among eight who needed hospital treatment on flight CX156, which left Australia on Saturday.

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Medical crews to rushed to the Airbus A350-900 plane as it landed at Hong Kong International Airport at at 6.45am on Sunday (local time) Cathay Pacific confirmed.

It said injuries were "minor."

One passenger described feeling like she was "free-falling from a drop tower" with people screaming, the South China Morning Post reported

The passenger told the paper the sudden drop in altitude lasted about two seconds and happened two hours before landing as flight attendants were about to serve economy-class passengers their meals.

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"Medical personnel boarded the aircraft to assess the conditions of a small number of passengers and crew who reported feeling unwell, and they were provided with the utmost level of care," Cathay Pacific told nine.com.au.

"Six cabin crew and four passengers reported minor injuries, and eight of them were sent to the hospital for further medical care."

Images posted on Instagram by Aviation Knowledge which says they're from the flight show oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling, food scattered on the floor and a female worker wiping her eyes while sitting on an ambulance trolley.

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Another shot shows a food trolley laying on its side in the galley.

While turbulence-related fatalities are quite rare, injuries have piled up over the years.

In 2024 a British grandfather died and dozens were injured after a flight carrying more than 50 Australians from the United Kingdom to Singapore was hit by severe turbulence.

Clear-air turbulence happens most often in or near the high-altitude rivers of air called jet streams.

The culprit is wind shear, which is when two huge air masses close to each other move at different speeds.