F:UA862/1MAY MEL/2044CT/OFF 1143A .07L LTEQ SYD SYD/2253CT/IN 1253P .18L LTEQ SYD‡OFF 153P .03E AKL/0642CT/IN 1106P 1.14L ‡ETD 306P16.54L WX SFO/0642CT/ETA 731A 21.36L WX ‡DPTS 110P OT JFK/0251CT/ARVS 936P OT SFO/DIVERTED SFO TO AKL DUE TO SFO WEATHER SFO/0848CT/0900-1359/POSS DLYS/CNCL-LOW CLOUDS Wednesday May 1, 10:33 am Eastern Time Reuters Business Seven hurt as United flight from Sydney hits turbulence WELLINGTON, May 1 (Reuters) - A United Airlines (NYSE:UAL - news) flight from Sydney to San Franciso was forced to divert to Auckland on Wednesday after it hit severe turbulence over the Pacific ocean, injuring several passengers, media reported. United flight 862, with 269 passengers and 21 crew, had flown into clear-air turbulence about four hours after leaving Sydney, initial reports said. Up to seven passengers had been injured, with some suffering broken bones and one with a head injury, the reports said. The plane was diverted to Auckland airport where ambulances took several people to hospital for treatment. There were no immediate reports of the number injured nor how seriously. "The turbulence was rather severe, and I understand a few passengers were shaken up," a United Airlines official told Radio New Zealand. The Boeing 747-400 took off from Sydney at 0335 GMT and encountered the "clear air" turbulence, which cannot be detected on radar, near the Pacific island of Tonga. The captain decided to divert to Auckland, the nearest major city, and made a safe emergency landing shortly after 11 p.m. local time (1100 GMT). The uninjured passengers and crew were taken to local hotels for the night. --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Health - your guide to health and wellness