WELLINGTON, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- A Qantas flight en route to Sydney in Australia was diverted to Christchurch on the South Island of New Zealand on Saturday afternoon following a bird strike and engine flames, Radio New Zealand reported.
The Boeing 737-800 aircraft with some 160 passengers aboard just took off from Queenstown on the island when witnesses reported hearing loud noises and flames emerging from the left engine, as shown in video footage on social media.
Flight QF122 landed safely at Christchurch Airport with no reported injuries, the report said. ■