The Air Europa flight from Madrid to Montevideo was forced to make an emergency landing in Brazil after the plane was hit by severe turbulence, trapping passengers in overhead compartments and leaving dozens of others with head, neck and chest injuries. The plane, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with 325 people on board, was diverted early in the morning to Natal airport in northeastern Brazil, where more than a dozen ambulances were waiting.
Videos from inside the plane have emerged on social media, showing passengers helping a fellow passenger out of the overhead bin storage area. It is not yet clear how the man got stuck in that place. Several passengers reported that those who were not wearing seatbelts were thrown out of their seats and hit the ceiling due to the strong winds.
Watch the video here:
1 day ago there was a fire in the overhead compartment cabin and 30 days ago there was turbulence in the ocean Atlantic!
On June 24, 30, Air Europa experienced clear air turbulence with flight number UX45 from Madrid to Montevideo… pic.twitter.com/CmAlfQE6pW
— Gerry Soejtman (@GerryS) July 2, 2024
The Spanish airline announced in a post X When the incident occurred, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft was flying from Madrid to Uruguay.
“Our flight UX045 bound for Montevideo has been diverted to Natal airport (Brazil) due to severe turbulence,” the airline wrote on X in Spanish. “The plane landed normally and those who suffered minor injuries are already being treated.”
Several photos on social media showed torn off ceiling panels and downed pipes and wires.
The health secretariat of Brazil’s Rio Grande do Norte state said forty passengers were taken to hospitals and clinics in Natal for treatment of “abrasions and minor injuries”. AFP,
As of Monday afternoon, eleven people remained hospitalized at the Monsenhor Walfredo Gurgel Hospital.
The injured included citizens of Spain, Argentina, Uruguay, Israel, Bolivia and Germany.
Air Europa earlier said seven passengers were treated for “various injuries”, while an unknown number of passengers received medical assistance for injuries.
It said a plane was being sent from Madrid to pick up the passengers while the damaged Boeing was being examined for damage in Natal.