40 injured after Air Europa plane experiences severe turbulence, diverted to Brazil: Airport

Forty people were injured after an Air Europa flight from Spain to Uruguay experienced severe turbulence, forcing it to be diverted to Brazil, officials said.

The Brazilian airline said flight UX045 encountered “severe” turbulence early Monday morning and landed safely at Natal International Airport in Sao Goncalo do Amarante. The plane requested an emergency landing at around 2:32 a.m. local time, according to the airport.

The airport confirmed to ABC News on Monday evening that 30 people received medical care at the airport, while 10 were taken to the hospital for further testing.

Air Europa said in an earlier statement that seven people were injured “to varying degrees”, and that there were “an unspecified number of people with minor bruises”.

“Due to the nature of the disturbances and for safety reasons, it was decided to divert the flight to Natal International Airport in Brazil,” the airline said.

The plane had departed Madrid-Barajas and was en route to Carrasco International Airport in Montevideo, Uruguay, when the accident occurred, according to the airline. The airline said Natal Airport was the closest airport to accommodate the passengers’ medical needs.

Videos from passengers on the plane showed damage to the cabin, and injured passengers in neck braces lying on their backs in the aisle. In one video, a man can be seen dangling from an overhead compartment, although it is unclear how he ended up there.

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner was carrying 325 passengers at the time.

Air Europa said the passengers were taken to Recife and a Madrid plane was scheduled to leave on Monday afternoon to pick them up and continue their journey to Montevideo.

ABC News’ Aisha Alhamar Castano contributed to this report.