Local health authorities said more than 30 passengers were treated for injuries. statementThe statement added that its teams were liaising with consulates and representatives in the passengers’ countries of origin: Spain, Uruguay, Israel, Germany and Bolivia. The airline did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the status of the passengers’ injuries.
visual Share on social media Damage was seen to overhead bins, panels and seats on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, and passengers speaking to local media described terrifying scenes as the plane began to fall.
One passenger from Uruguay said it was like “a horror movie.” El Observador Passengers who were not wearing seat belts were hurled into the air, with some hitting the roof of the plane, the newspaper reported.
“It felt like we were falling forever and it was a terrifying sensation and we were aware we were falling at an immense speed and had the feeling that we were going to end up there and that we were going to die,” another passenger told the paper.
“The pilot told us to fasten our seat belts because there was a possibility of turbulence and that it wasn’t something the radar could predict,” passenger Larissa Gutierrez said. Said Latest NewsBrazilian media.
Turbulence can occur unexpectedly. Federal Aviation Administration Turbulence can be caused by air pressure, the jet stream, air moving around mountains, cold or warm fronts, thunderstorms, etc. The agency says people can reduce their risk of injury during turbulence by wearing their seat belts and paying attention to flight safety announcements.
Turbulence-related injuries are relatively rare, according to FAA data: 17 people suffered serious turbulence-related injuries in 2022 and six people were injured in 2021, the FAA said.
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In May, a 73-year-old man died and 18 people were hospitalized after a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore encountered turbulence. A few days later, 12 people were injured when a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Dublin encountered turbulence.
A series of recent accidents has raised questions about whether climate change is increasing aircraft turbulence risks. While many studies suggest that global warming is likely to lead to more turbulence, experts say weather forecasters are getting better at predicting it, which could help airlines avoid rough skies.
Ana Vanessa Herrero and Rachel Punnett contributed to this report.