25 injured as SAA Hong Kong-bound jet hits turbulence

Twelve men and 13 women were injured, police said, with two men seriously hurt.

Local television images showed ambulances on the tarmac at Hong Kong's airport taking away the injured, who were on a South African Airways jet from Johannesburg which landed at around 12:30 pm.

Hong Kong airport authorities said they were notified by the plane's captain at 11:00 am that they would need help from emergency services when they came into land.

"There was a plane that flew in from South Africa that saw multiple passengers injured when it encountered turbulence," a police spokeswoman told AFP.

Twelve men and 13 women were injured, police said, with two men seriously hurt. Details of their injuries were not immediately known.

South African Airways could not immediately comment when contacted by AFP but an online flight tracking system said the plane was a four-engined Airbus A340-300.

Authorities could not confirm the total number of passengers on board.

South African Airways is the country's national carrier and one of the continent's leading airlines.

Brian Heuer, who was on flight SA286 with his wife, told  South China Morning Post  that many passengers were asleep when the plane hit the turbulence as it passed over Singapore, adding: "'Most of the injured hit their heads on the roof of the cabin."

Another passenger identified as Caroline said "a lot of the passengers were scared but generally speaking the crew had it under control and the landing was very good".