Ottawa, Jan 25 (IANS): Ten passenger on board a flight in Quebec City airport in Canada were hospitalised after 185 passengers fell sick within minutes of boarding the plane, officials said.

The passengers experienced various symptoms, including itchy eyes, dizziness, and vomiting during the plane's de-icing before takeoff, Xinhua news agency reported.

Ambulances were called and all passengers on board Air Transat flight 782 to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, were seen by paramedics around 11 a.m. on Thursday.

The Canadian media reported that five of the passengers were immediately rushed while others were shifted gradually, officials of the CHU de Quebec, which oversees five hospitals in the capital said without providing further details.

Firefighters evacuated the plane on the tarmac at Jean Lesage International Airport. They conducted a reading of the plane's air quality immediately and found that it was healthy.

The airline has launched its own investigation into the incident. A spokesperson of the airport said it's possible there was a ventilation problem in the plane.