Severe turbulence injures over 30 people and leads to diversion of an Air Europa flight to Brazil

More than 30 passengers were treated for injuries, the local health authority said in a statement. Its team worked with consulates and representatives from Spain, Uruguay, Israel, Germany and Bolivia, the statement added.

Most of the injured passengers suffered bruises and contusions, Air Europa said on Tuesday. Six passengers are still in hospital.

Images shared on social media showed damage to the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner’s overhead bins, panels and seats. Passengers speaking to local media described a horrific scene as the plane began to descend.

It was like a “horror film,” a passenger told the Uruguayan newspaper El Observador. Those who were not wearing seat belts were thrown through the air, some were thrown to the ceiling, the newspaper reported.

“The feeling was terrifying, like you were falling and it would never end. And you were aware that you were falling at an unpredictable speed. And you had the feeling that it would end with you dying,” another passenger told the newspaper.

“The pilots asked us to fasten our seatbelts because there might be turbulence. They told us it was a situation they couldn’t predict on radar,” said passenger Larissa Gutierrez. said Novo Noticias, a Brazilian media outlet.

Turbulence can occur unexpectedly, the Federal Aviation Administration explains on its website, and can be caused by “atmospheric pressure, jet streams, air around mountains, cold or warm weather fronts, or thunderstorms.” Wearing a seatbelt and paying attention to flight safety announcements can reduce the risk of injury during turbulence, the agency says.

Turbulence injuries are relatively rare, according to FAA data. In 2022, 17 people suffered serious turbulence injuries; in 2021, the number was six, the agency said.

In May, a 73-year-old man died and 18 others were hospitalized when a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore encountered turbulence. A few days later, 12 people were injured in turbulence on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Dublin.

The recent spate of incidents raises questions about whether climate change is increasing the risk of turbulence on flights. While a number of studies suggest that a warming planet is likely to lead to more turbulence, experts say meteorologists are getting better at predicting it, which may help airlines avoid rough skies.

Ana Vanessa Herrero and Rachel Pannett contributed to this article