Six people have been hospitalised after a Boeing aircraft made an emergency landing in Lagos, Nigeria, following a sudden mid-air plunge.
The incident aboard a United Airlines flight saw four passengers and two crew members taken to hospital with minor injuries after the plane dropped 175ft in just a matter of seconds.
A further 32 people, including 27 passengers and five crew members, received first aid treatment at the scene before being released.
The flight which departed Lagos on Friday, had been bound for Washington before the emergency diversion.
Six people have been hospitalised after a Boeing aircraft made an emergency landing in Lagos, Nigeria
FlightRadar
The aircraft was carrying 245 passengers, eight flight attendants and three pilots when it experienced the sudden movement 93 minutes after it took off.
Dramatic footage from inside the aircraft showed chaotic scenes, with food trays and personal belongings scattered across the floor.
United Airlines confirmed the plane had suffered a technical issue and unexpected movement.
The cause of the sudden plunge is currently under investigation.
A United Airlines spokesman said: “[The flight] landed safely in Lagos and four passengers and two flight attendants were seen at a hospital for minor injuries and have been released.”
LATEST WORLD NEWS:
The injured were taken to Duchess Hospital in Ikeja after being stabilised, while those who received first aid treatment were released “immediately”, according to the airline.
United Airlines said it was working to place affected passengers on alternative flights.
Flight tracking data revealed the same aircraft had experienced a similar incident just three days earlier on Tuesday.
During that flight, also travelling from Lagos to Washington’s Dulles International Airport, the plane suddenly dropped 1,000 feet approximately 89 minutes into the journey and was forced to make an emergency landing in Accra, Ghana.
Both flights were bound for Washington’s Dulles International Airport
GETTY
It remains unclear whether the two diversions are related.
Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), confirmed there were no fatalities in the incident.
Speaking on state radio, he explained that passengers had been accommodated in hotels.
Achimugu detailed the emergency response, saying: “The medical team were in direct communication with the pilot prior to the aircraft’s landing in Lagos.”
He added that the medical team and firefighters were “present and prepared” on the ground.