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An Air Europa flight en route from Spain to Uruguay was forced to divert to Brazil after hitting severe turbulence, injuring 40 passengers, according to officials.
The disturbance occurred on Flight UX045 early Monday, leading to an emergency landing at Natal International Airport in São Gonçalo do Amarante for safety reasons, the airline reported. The emergency was declared at approximately 2:32 a.m. local time, as stated by airport authorities.
Photos shared online, credited to @Natalia_gimeno, show extensive cabin damage during the July 1, 2024, incident.
Out of those injured, 30 passengers received on-site medical treatment at the airport, while 10 required hospitalization for further assessment, ABC News was informed by airport officials on Monday night.
An initial statement from Air Europa acknowledged that seven individuals suffered injuries of various severities, in addition to several passengers sustaining minor bruises.
The flight, initially departing from Madrid-Barajas aimed for Carrasco International Airport in Montevideo, Uruguay, had to be rerouted to Natal, Brazil, the nearest viable airport to attend to the injured passengers.
Passenger-captured videos reveal significant cabin damage and captured some of the injuries experienced, including passengers in neck braces. One particularly shocking video depicts a man hanging from an overhead bin, though details of how he got there remain unclear.
Onboard the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner were 325 passengers. Following the incident, plans were made to transfer the passengers to Recife, with a subsequent flight from Madrid scheduled to pick them up and continue their journey to Montevideo, as arranged by Air Europa.