At least eight people were taken to the hospital early Friday after a New York-bound flight encountered severe turbulence.
The Avianca aircraft departed Medellín, Colombia, at 10:40 p.m. local time for John F. Kennedy International Airport. About three hours into the journey, it diverted to Miami and made an emergency landing, according to FlightAware.
Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue officials told CBS that “multiple patients” were injured after the plane landed at approximately 3:30 a.m. Passengers said several ambulances were already waiting on the tarmac.
“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,” passenger Maria Paula Jimenez told CBS Miami.
“Seven of them with their lights on as if they were waiting for something. When we arrived, well, you know, it wasn’t normal.”
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Video obtained by NBC6 appears to show passengers holding ice packs to their heads while being told to remain seated.
Fire officials said eight people were hospitalized, but did not provide details about the severity of their injuries.
Avianca was scheduled to operate a flight from Miami to JFK at 8:25 a.m. Friday.
