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At least eight people were taken to hospital early Friday after “unexpected” severe turbulence forced a flight from Colombia to New York to divert to Miami International Airport.
Avianca Flight 42, traveling from Medellín, Colombia, to John F. Kennedy International Airport, landed safely in Miami around 3:30 a.m., the Miami-Dade Fire Department said. The Independent.
“According to the report, three cabin crew members and six passengers were affected by the turbulence,” the Colombian ministry said. the airline said in a statement. “Upon our arrival, the Avianca team and airport medical services activated the appropriate protocols to provide immediate care. »
MDFR reported eight patients in total. One was transported to the main trauma center by firefighters, while seven others were transported to local hospitals by private ambulances.
Onboard video obtained by NBC 6 South Florida appears to show passengers holding ice packs to their heads and being instructed to remain seated. An overhead compartment reportedly came apart during the turbulence, while other images showed people on stretchers and a passenger wearing a neck brace.
Miami International Airport said the incident was upgraded to Level 1, with mass casualties, due to the number of patients. The designation generally applies to emergencies involving three to ten patients that strain or overwhelm local emergency medical resources. The extent of the passengers’ injuries remains unclear.
Passenger Maria Paula Jimenez, who was at the airport when the flight arrived, said she saw several ambulances waiting on the tarmac to help people on the plane.
“When we arrived, when we landed, we saw that very close to where we were going to disembark, there were more than five or six ambulances. Seven of them with their lights on like they were waiting for something,” Jimenez told CBS Miami in Spanish.
“When we got there, well, you know, it wasn’t normal.”
Avianca said its airport team was helping remaining passengers make travel arrangements to New York.
“Avianca remains in contact with affected passengers and crew members while continuing to respond to the situation. The safety of our customers and employees is and will remain the foundation of our operations,” the airline’s statement said.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident, the agency said. The Independent.
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