Thirty people were hurt when a China Airlines jet flying from Taiwan to Indonesia's Bali island hit severe turbulence, including one man who suffered a fractured spine, a spokesman said yesterday.
Six people — four crew and two passengers — were hospitalised after Saturday's incident aboard the Boeing 747 with 339 passengers and 19 crew aboard headed from Taipei to Denpasar, the airline official said.
Most of those injured suffered broken bones and scratches, the airline said.
The four crew members have since been released, said the official, who asked not to be named.
Previous reports said eight people were injured.
The incident happened when the jetliner was flying at an altitude of 37,000 feet. The turbulence caused an abrupt change of 60 metres in altitude within 10 seconds, the airline said.
The plane was not damaged and later returned to Taiwan, the airline said.