Man thrown into overhead bin, at least 40 injured as Air Europa flight hits severe turbulence. Watch
Man thrown into overhead bin, at least 40 injured as Air Europa flight hits severe turbulence. Watch
An Air Europa flight encountered terrifying moments on Monday as severe turbulence caused injuries to approximately 30-40 passengers aboard a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner en route from Madrid to Montevideo. The incident prompted an emergency landing in Brazil.
According to reports, passengers aboard Flight UX045 shared harrowing accounts of the mid-air ordeal. Video footage uploaded by a passenger depicted the aftermath of the turbulence, with scenes showing a man trapped in an overhead luggage compartment.
One Venezuelan tourist described the suddenness of the turbulence: "Suddenly the plane abruptly fell and we all went up. Those not wearing seatbelts flew away and some were stuck to the ceiling. It lasted about 3.5 seconds," he told El Observador.
Another passenger likened the experience to a "horror movie," recounting a near-death sensation of falling endlessly. "The sensation was one of terror," he shared. "You felt that it ended there, that you died."
The turbulence, described by some as severe enough to cause ceiling panels to come loose, resulted in injuries to at least 40 passengers. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, carrying 325 people, diverted to Natal, Brazil, where injured passengers were promptly taken to hospitals and clinics for treatment of "abrasions and minor traumas," according to Brazil's Rio Grande do Norte state health secretariat. Eleven passengers remain hospitalised.
Mariela Jodal, another passenger, reported on social media that several people were injured in the "very strong turbulence," highlighting the importance of seatbelt use in such situations.
In response to the incident, Air Europa announced that arrangements were being made to send a replacement plane from Madrid to collect the stranded passengers while the affected Boeing undergoes inspection in Natal.
This incident follows a similar event in May involving a Singapore Airlines-operated Boeing 777, where extreme turbulence during a flight from London resulted in one passenger's death and numerous injuries to others.