An Air Europa flight en route to Uruguay was forced to make an unexpected stop in Brazil after severe turbulence injured more than 30 people on Monday, fracturing the necks and skulls of several passengers.
The airline said Flight UX045, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, was travelling from Madrid, Spain to Montevideo, Uruguay when the turbulence occurred. The plane made an unplanned landing in Natal, Brazil so passengers could receive medical treatment.
Thirty-six travellers were treated for physical injuries and shock, and 23 passengers were taken to hospital, the New York Times reported. Though most of the passengers treated suffered only minor injuries, several others were reportedly flung from their seats and suffered head, neck and chest injuries as a result of the impact.
The plane was over the Atlantic Ocean and had been in the air for more than four hours when the severe turbulence began.According to local health authorities, 15 ambulances were deployed to meet the passengers of Flight UX045 upon landing in Natal.
On Monday evening, four passengers were still receiving treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU), with one other traveller hospitalized in general care.
Video and photos from the incident show damage to the plane’s overhead storage compartments and roof, with several panels missing above the cabin’s aisle. Passengers also filmed smears of blood left on some seats.In another video purportedly taken on the flight, one passenger can be seen lying above the overhead compartments, with his feet dangling in the air above the aisle.It is unclear if the 325 people onboard Flight UX045 were told to wear their seatbelts ahead of experiencing the severe turbulence, or if the injured passengers had theirs buckled up when the turbulence occurred.