Air Canada said Thursday that a flight en route from Shanghai to Toronto was diverted to Calgary after emergency crews say heavy turbulence injured 21 passengers, including three children.

Emergency Medical Services spokesman Stuart Brideaux said Wednesday that those transported to Calgary area hospitals were in stable condition with non-life threatening neck and back injuries.

“Our focus today has been on those passengers who have been injured in this incident and those other passengers on the aircraft for whom this has been a very unsettling experience,” said Klaus Goersch, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Air Canada.

“We are grateful that the first passengers are already being released from hospital,” he added.

Air Canada spokeswoman Isabelle Arthur said that the Boeing 777 Air Canada flight AC088 was carrying 332 passengers and 19 crew members on Wednesday. She said the aircraft landed without incident.

Fire and other emergency crews were on hand when the plane landed.

(Asia Correspondent)