Apparently there was no warning before an international flight at cruising altitude violently threw its passengers into the ceiling.

“Very suddenly there was a very dramatic drop, so everyone seated and not wearing a seatbelt was launched immediately into the ceiling,” 28-year-old student Dzafran Azmir told Reuters.

“I saw people from across the aisle just going completely horizontal, hitting the ceiling and landing back down in really awkward positions. People getting massive gashes in the head concussions.”

Mr Azmir added that people’s heads had slammed into the overhead panels above the seats and “pushed through” some of the panels.

After an emergency landing nearly 90 people (out of 140) were receiving medical treatment for injuries, including six crew.