Passenger Brian Jokat told Stuff that the “whole plane was screaming” during the ordeal.

Jokat said he witnessed the passenger next to him fly into the ceiling.

“His back is on the ceiling, and he’s up in the air, and then he drops down and hits his head on the armrest,” he said.

“The plane then started taking a nose dive, and I was just thinking, ‘OK this is it, we’re done.’

“The ceiling’s broken from people’s heads and bodies hitting it. Basically neck braces were being put on people, guys’ heads were cut and they were bleeding. It was just crazy.”

The plane is a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, according to data from flight tracking service Flightaware.

Latam said in the statement the injured passengers and cabin crew “received immediate assistance and were evaluated or treated by medical staff at the airport as needed.

“Latam regrets the inconvenience and injury this situation may have caused its passengers, and reiterates its commitment to safety as a priority within the framework of its operational standards.”

The Chilean airline flight was due to continue to Santiago on Monday evening, but the flight has been cancelled.

Latam confirmed the Auckland-Santiago leg would be rescheduled for Tuesday local time, with the airline providing food and accommodation to affected passengers.

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