At least 27 passengers were injured because of “severe turbulence” in which an Air Europa Boeing aircraft crashed which was then forced to make an emergency landing in the city of Natal, Brazil.

According to the Spanish company, the 787-9 Dreamliner carrying 325 passengers, had departed on Sunday from Madrid, bound for Montevideo. But “due to the serious turmoil and for security reasons” changed course and headed to Natal in northeastern Brazil, where it “landed normally,” it added in its statement.

The landing took place at 02:42 local time, according to Zurich Airport Brasil, the company that manages Natal’s international airport.

Air Europa clarified that there are seven injured and an unspecified number (passengers) who suffered minor injuries. Uruguay’s foreign ministry said passengers who needed medical treatment were taken to the Monsignor Valfredo Gurgel hospital in Natal. According to information from Uruguayan diplomatic sources, which came to the knowledge of Agence France-Presse, at least 27 people on board the plane needed medical attention in hospital. A source spoke of “multiple injuries” but did not specify whether their condition was serious. Another diplomatic source, from the same country, said that no one’s life was in danger and that some had already been discharged.

The aircraft will remain in Natal to be assessed for damage and another will be dispatched within the next few hours to allow passengers to continue their journey.

One woman, Mariela Hodal, posted a photo on Platform X showing the plane’s ceiling with cables hanging from it and large, yellow pipes visible inside. She reported that she was not injured because she was wearing a seat belt.

In May, a 73-year-old British man was killed and several other people were seriously injured when a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 suffered a similar problem. Scientists say climate change is responsible for the increase in turbulence on flights. According to a 2023 study the duration of turbulence on an annual basis increased by 17% between 1979-2020 and severe, rarer turbulence by 50%.