A Malaysia Airlines flight from London to Kuala Lumpur hit severe turbulence on Sunday, inflicting injuries on at least 37 passengers and six crew members.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH1, carrying 378 passengers and crew, experienced "a brief moment of severe turbulence" over the Bay of Bengal, the company said in a statement.

A "small number" of injured passengers and crew on the flight, an Airbus A380, were treated by medical officers on arrival on Sunday, the company added.

A passenger, Harith Azman, who was returning from a family holiday in London, wrote on Facebook: "I was one of the passengers in the plane and I think the pilot did the best they could to take us all home safely.

"My parents were in the toilet at that time and my father hit his head on the ceiling of the plane."The plane went into a very bad weather and cause the plane to free fall. The food weren't served because the trolley was damaged."

Photos shared on social media showed food strewn all over the aisle and cracks in overhead passenger units.

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