Nearly 30 Injured After Spain-Uruguay Boeing Flight Hits Turbulence (X image@pichipastoso)
Nearly 30 people were injured after an Air Europa Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flight hit turbulence over the Atlantic. The incident happened on Monday. Passengers flew out of their seats, and one man appeared to have gotten stuck in the overhead bins. Passengers aboard the UX045 Flight from Spain to Uruguay shared the frightening video of the damage and the aftermath of the turbulence. One person shared a video on X showing a man stuck in the overhead luggage compartment.
— Pichi Pastosa (@pichipastoso) July 1, 2024
The man’s feet could be seen poking out of the bin after he was allegedly hurled up there during the turbulence. A group of people were seen huddling together to pull him down, while sound of a baby crying could be heard in the background.
Air Europa said the flight was carrying 325 passengers and was hit by turbulence while it was flying over the Atlantic Ocean. The flight was forced to land in Natal of north-eastern Brazil.
“The plane has landed normally and the injuries of varying degrees that were recorded are already being treated”, said Air Europa in a statement.
Speaking to Uruguayan news outlet El Observador, one passenger named Norys said he was enjoying his flight back home from a European tour when the captain gave a warning about turbulence and urged passengers to remain seated and fasten their seatbelts. “A long time after that, there was a very, very slight turbulence, it was barely felt, and from one moment to the next the plane abruptly fell and we all went up…those who did not have seatbelts flew and some remained hooked to the roof”, he said.
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Foreign Minister of Uruguay said the injured are being treated at Monsenhor Walfredo Gurgek Hospital in Natal, where the flight made an emergency landing, and transportation for them are being readied. Air Europa said a new flight will leave Madrid on Monday to pick up any passengers who refused to take a bus ride back to Uruguay.
