7 Slightly Injured As Qantas Plane Hits Turbulence

PERTH, Australia (AP) — A Qantas plane hit turbulence and suddenly lost altitude over Malaysia, throwing terrified passengers around the cabin and leaving seven people injured, the airline said Monday.

The Airbus A330 with 219 passengers and crew aboard was flying from Hong Kong to the Australian west coast city of Perth overnight when it struck "severe turbulence" over Malaysian Borneo, Qantas said in a statement.

Passengers later described the panic and confusion in the darkened cabin as passengers not wearing seat belts were hurled from their seats.

"It appeared like we'd just dropped out of a 30-story building," uninjured passenger Keith Huxtable said. "It was dark ... people screamed."

Passenger Michelle Knight, also not hurt, said the crew told her the plane had plunged 100 feet (30 meters).

Six passengers and a crew member were treated on board for minor injuries, Qantas corporate affairs manager David Epstein said. The captain reported minor damage inside the cabin, Epstein told Fairfax Radio.