Severe turbulence injures 30 and forces plane to land as passenger removed from overhead compartment – ​​The Sun

This is the shocking moment a passenger was pulled from an overhead compartment after turbulence injured 30 people and forced an emergency landing.

The man’s legs were seen dangling in the cabin as his fellow passengers scrambled to pull him to safety after the disastrous flight UX045 from Madrid, Spain, to Montevideo, Uruguay.

A two-year-old baby was also removed from the suitcases above after being thrown from his seat amid the chaos.

Disturbing images reveal the damage caused by the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner which was forced to divert and make an emergency landing in Natal, Brazil today.

The feeling was terror, the feeling of falling and it wouldn’t stop.

Terrified passenger

In the disturbing video, holidaymakers could see ceiling panels dislodged, oxygen masks hanging ominously above and a seat broken by the impact.

Other horrific videos show passengers lying on the floor of the plane, with neck braces around their necks, waiting to receive medical attention.

After landing, paramedics found 30 injured passengers, about 23 of whom were rushed to hospital.

Dr Cecilia Lagucci, whose toddler was thrown from his seat, told local Brazilian press: “My husband and I were looking for the little one, who is two years old.

“And we found him on top of the suitcases. Part of the plane collapsed and the child was up there crying.

“My husband had to go and bring him back.”

The traumatized doctor remembers people “hovering” over his body as the horror unfolded.

“I felt the plane going down and I thought, ‘It’s going to settle down now,'” she said.

“But then it kept falling and falling and falling. Until they stabilized the plane and I was able to get up.”

Another traveler told Uruguayan newspaper El Observador that passengers were asked to fasten their seat belts.

She said it went from “very slight turbulence” to “the plane crashing hard.”

“Those who were not wearing seat belts flew and some remained hanging from the ceiling. It lasted about 3.5 seconds,” she added.

The terrified passenger said the injured were forced to lie on the ground for three hours before help could reach them.

And Juan, an Argentinian lawyer who was on board the ill-fated flight, said: “I was terrified, I felt like I was falling and it would never stop.

“And you are aware that you are falling at an incalculable speed.

“And you felt like it was over, that you were dead. (That was) until we started to see on the screen that the plane was starting to rise.”

Air Europa released a statement on X on Monday morning that said: “We inform that our customers are moving to Recife, where they will stay before traveling to Montevideo.

“Natal was the airport that could serve passengers with medical needs most quickly.

“As it is not an AirEuropa destination, the company’s staff also travel to Natal and Recife to offer a better service to our customers.

“All people who need health care are treated in centres in Natal.

“Passengers will be informed of the latest information regarding this operation. We will keep you updated with more information.”

The Sun has contacted Air Europa for comment.

The news comes after a British grandfather died of a heart attack during terrible turbulence earlier this year.

Geoff Kitchen, 73, died of a heart attack after the Singapore Airlines Boeing flight plunged 7,000 feet in just six minutes, sparking mid-air panic.

Meanwhile, 12 passengers and crew were injured on a Qatar Airways flight after it encountered severe turbulence.

The plane was en route from Doha to Dublin when it began to shake as it flew over Turkey, just days after the deadly Singapore Airlines flight.