Thirty-eight people were injured, including six hospitalized, after a United Airlines flight from Lagos to Washington, D.C., encountered midair difficulties, Nigerian officials confirmed. The exact nature of the emergency remains unclear, but video footage from the incident shows the Boeing 787-8's cabin in disarray, with meal trays scattered across the floor and parts of the aircraft's headliner detached, according to NBC News on Sunday. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria reported that United Airlines Flight 613 departed Murtala Muhammed International Airport at 11:59 p.m. local time on Thursday but returned to Lagos at 3:22 a.m. Friday following an emergency that occurred "hours" into the journey. United Airlines stated Saturday that the aircraft, carrying 245 passengers, eight crew members, and three pilots, returned safely to Lagos due to "a technical issue and an unexpected aircraft movement." Among the injured, four passengers and two flight attendants were hospitalized. While United Airlines described the injuries as minor, the Nigerian airports authority said the six individuals had "serious" injuries. They were initially stabilized at local medical facilities before being transferred to Duchess Hospital in Ikeja. An additional 27 passengers and five crew members sustained minor injuries and received first aid at the airport. Despite the incident, the aircraft did not suffer significant damage, according to officials. The flight was in the air for 3 hours and 36 minutes, as per FlightAware. United Airlines is cooperating with Nigerian and U.S. authorities to investigate the cause of the incident. — Agencies
