Air Europa Flight Diverted to Brazil Due to Turbulence; 40 Injured

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The flight was traveling from Spain to Uruguay when it encountered severe turbulence and was diverted to Brazil.

Forty people were injured following an incident on an Air Europa flight from Spain to Uruguay, which encountered severe turbulence and had to divert to Brazil, officials reported.

Flight UX045 experienced significant turbulence early Monday morning and safely landed at Natal International Airport in São Gonçalo do Amarante, according to the airline. The plane requested an emergency landing at approximately 2:32 a.m. local time, as confirmed by the airport.

Thirty individuals received medical attention at the airport, while ten were transported to the hospital for further examination, ABC News reported Monday night, citing airport authorities.

Air Europa had previously stated that seven individuals sustained injuries of varying severity, with an unspecified number suffering minor bruises.

"For safety reasons related to the turbulence, the decision was made to divert the flight to Natal International Airport in Brazil," the airline explained in an earlier statement.

The flight had departed from Madrid-Barajas and was en route to Carrasco International Airport in Montevideo, Uruguay, at the time of the incident. Natal was chosen as the closest suitable airport to address the medical needs of the passengers, Air Europa noted.

Videos captured by passengers depicted damage inside the cabin and injured individuals lying on their backs in neck braces. One video showed a man hanging from an overhead compartment, though the circumstances leading to this were unclear.

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

Plans were underway to transport the passengers to Recife, with a replacement flight scheduled to depart Madrid on Monday afternoon to resume the journey to Montevideo, according to Air Europa.