SIX people were injured when a United Airlines flight from Nigeria experienced an unexpected sudden jolt mid-air and was forced to make an emergency landing.

Washington DC-bound flight 613 was diverted back to Lagos after a technical issue and a violent aircraft movement on Friday, according to the airline.

The Boeing 787-8 aircraft was carrying 245 passengers, eight flight attendants and three pilots onboard, and had departed late Thursday night.

FlightRadar24 data showed the plane dropping suddenly its cruising altitude 93 minutes after takeoff, according to CNN.

Footage reportedly captured by passengers showed chaos on the aircraft with food, trays and personal items scattered across the aircraft.

A United Airlines spokesperson 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.”

The patients were taken to Duchess Hospital in Ikeja after being stabilised.

United said an additional 27 passengers and five crew members suffered minor injuries and were given first aid before being released “immediately.”

The airline added that it was working to place the passengers on alternative flights.

It is unclear what caused the sudden movement, but United said they are working with aviation authorities in the U.S. and Nigeria to understand the cause.

Flight tracking data showed the same aircraft completing the same journey from Lagos to Washington’s Dulles International Airport was also diverted on Tuesday, just three days earlier.

That flight rapidly dropped 1,000 feet approximately 89 minutes into the flight and was diverted to Accra, Ghana.

It is unknown if the two diversions are related.

Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), confirmed the incident on a state-run radio channel, emphasising that there were no fatalities.

He said passengers had been accommodated in hotels, Radio Nigeria also reported.

Achimugu said: “The medical team were in direct communication with the pilot prior to the aircraft’s landing in Lagos,”adding that the team, as well as firefighters on the ground, were “present and prepared.”

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