Terrifying Turbulence: Air Europa Flight Diverts to Brazil, Injures 30

An Air Europa flight from Madrid to Montevideo was diverted to Brazil after severe turbulence injured 30 passengers, with six hospitalized. Passengers described the experience as life-threatening, with some suffering fractures. The airline expressed deep regret and is assisting affected passengers, with a replacement flight arranged for the remaining journey.

Passengers from an Air Europa flight diverted to northeastern Brazil due to severe turbulence on Monday said they feared for their lives during the incident which injured around 30 people and left six in hospital. "There are passengers with fractures and injuries to their arms, faces, and legs," Stevan told Reuters TV in the Brazilian city of Natal, where flight UX045 from Madrid to the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo, made an unscheduled landing just after 2.30 a.m. local time.

"It was a pretty horrible feeling. We thought we were going to die there," he said, without giving his full name. Another passenger, Maximiliano, said the plane - a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with 325 passengers on board - had suddenly started to plunge.

"From one moment to the next, the plane destabilized and went into a dive," he said. "The people who didn't have seat belts went up in the air and hit the ceiling, and they got hurt - those who had seat belts on, not so much." Air Europa said in a statement on Tuesday that six people were still in hospital in Natal and were being assisted by ground personnel from Brazil and Spain.

"Air Europa deeply regrets what happened, as well as the inconvenience caused to its customers. The airline hopes for a speedy recovery of the affected passengers and is at the disposal of all its customers to assist them," the airline added. The health secretariat from the government of Rio Grande do Norte state, where Natal is located, said 30 passengers had initally been taken to hospitals in Natal with minor abrasions or orthopedic traumas.

The carrier said a replacement flight to take the passengers on to Montevideo had left earlier in the day, with passengers transported from Natal to Recife's larger airport by bus. It added that the aircraft was being reviewed to establish the extent of the damage

The airline did not immediately respond to a request for further comment about the incident, which took place less than two months since one passenger died and dozens were hurt when turbulence hit a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore. Some scientists have warned of worsening turbulence tied to climate change.

The most common cause of turbulence is the unstable weather patterns that trigger storms. These can normally be detected by weather radar, allowing pilots to fly around them. Recent incidents have increased concern in the air travel industry about seat belt and safety practices.

An international agreement, the Montreal Convention, makes airlines liable for physical injuries from accidents on international flights, which can include turbulence, regardless of whether they were negligent.

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