Hong Kong, Sep 2 (DPA) A Hong Kong pilot has been removed from flying duties after the plane he was piloting hit severe turbulence on a flight to Bangalore, India, his airline said Wednesday.

The Dragonair Airbus A330 carrying 231 passengers and 13 crew members was rocked violently for several seconds after hitting clear-air turbulence Aug 2 over the Indian Ocean on its way from Hong Kong.

No one was injured and the 'Fasten seat belt' sign was switched on as soon as the turbulence began. However, a spokeswoman for Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Ltd said a number of passengers suffered air sickness.

The incident took place weeks after an Air France Airbus A330 crashed, killing 228 people, after running into a storm off the coast of Brazil, but the Dragonair spokeswoman insisted there were no similarities between the two incidents.

A report on the incident has been sent to the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department, and the spokeswoman said in a statement: 'As is standard procedure in any such incident, the captain has stood down from duty while the investigation is conducted.