Plane diverted to Brazil after turbulence injures 30

A flight hit by “strong turbulence” has made an emergency landing in Brazil, with 30 people reported injured.

The Air Europa Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner was flying from Madrid to Montevideo when the mid-air incident happened, the airline said.

Flight UX045 was diverted to the airport of Natal in north-eastern Brazil on its way to the Uruguayan capital, the Spanish company said on X, formerly Twitter.

It added that passengers who suffered injuries were “receiving attention”.

The plane, which had 325 passengers on board, ran into turbulence over the Atlantic when it had nearly reached the Brazilian coast, an Air Europa spokesperson said.

The plane landed normally and was met by a fleet of ambulances.

Airport officials said some passengers needed medical assistance and were taken to the nearest hospital.

A local medical team told Brazilian media they attended to at least 30 passengers of various nationalities and that 10 of them were taken to hospital.

The patients had hit their heads during the turbulence and suffered injuries including cranial fractures and cuts to the face, the team added.

The incident comes weeks after a Singapore Airlines flight was subjected to severe turbulence over Myanmar, leading to dozens of injuries and the death of a British man.

Severe turbulence is rare but recent studies have shown that climate change could be increasing the risk.