Thirty passengers injured after strong turbulence forces the Air Europa plane to land in Brazil

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Thirty passengers were injured after a flight from Madrid to Uruguay was hit by severe turbulence and had to make an emergency landing in Brazil, Spanish airline Air Europa said on Monday.

Our flight UX045 bound for Montevideo has been diverted to Natal airport (in Brazil) due to severe turbulence, Air Europa said in a post on X.

The plane landed normally and those who suffered various injuries are already being treated.

The plane hit by the turbulence was a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. The plane has the capacity to carry up to 339 passengers, according to Air Europa's website.

One of the passengers, Evangelina Saravia, told Uruguayan newspaper Teledoce that there had been about 20 minutes of light turbulence before the plane suddenly dropped 400 meters at a speed of 1,000 kilometers per hour, trapping several passengers who had ignored seatbelt warnings. insurance. off guard.

(Before the fall) there were people walking, people without belts. There were children sleeping without belts, Saravia said. People jumped from the seats and hit the roof, which is why the roof broke, she added.

The person who was next to me flew off and was stuck in the upper part of the luggage, another passenger, Romina Apai, told Teledoce.

According to Apai, the passengers were suspended for a moment before descending again after the plane stabilized.

They fell on top of the seats, on top of other passengers, Apai added.

Another passenger, Stevan, told Reuters: There are passengers with fractures and injuries to their arms, faces and legs. About 30 people are injured. It was quite an awful feeling; we thought we were going to die there, but thank god it didn't happen.

The Spanish airline said another plane would depart later on Monday from Madrid and pick up passengers stranded in Brazil to continue their journey to Uruguay.

Air Europa passengers requiring medical care were treated at Brazil's Natal International Airport.

A second Air Europe flight picked up some of those diverted to Brazil and took them to Montevideo, Uruguay, their original destination, according to an Air Europa post on X.

According to Air Europa, the passengers arrived in Montevideo on Tuesday morning at 07:20 local time. The airline added in a post on X that they regret what happened and the inconvenience caused. Air Europa also said some staff have traveled to Natal to support passengers who continue to receive medical assistance.

The news comes as the latest development in a string of bad publicity for plane maker Boeing.

While there is no evidence so far that the injuries on the Air Europa flight were related to a safety malfunction, Boeing has recently faced a number of whistleblowers alleging safety problems at the company.

Just last week, a whistleblower came forward alleging that parts of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner were built in an unsafe manner that could lead to catastrophic consequences. A previous whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, a Boeing engineer, said he found and reported similar gaps in the 787 and 777 jets.

For nearly two years starting in 2021, the FAA and Boeinghalted deliveries of new Dreamliners while looking at gaps. Boeing said it made changes to its manufacturing process and deliveries eventually resumed.

More than a dozen whistleblowers have come out against Boeing in recent years, and the number has risen sharply since the plane's plug exploded on a 737 Max plane in January shortly after takeoff, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the plane.

The FAA has opened multiple investigations into Boeing, and the US Department of Justice said it may file criminal charges against the company for continued quality and safety failures.

CNN's Claudia Rebaza, Audry Jeong, Duarte Mendonca, Gabe Cohen, David Goldman and Gregory Wallace contributed reporting.