Flight hit by violent turbulence leaves 10 injured and rest fearing for their lives
LISBON, PORTUGAL: A plane headed to Portugal was rocked by violent turbulence, which caused many on board to fear for their lives and resulted in multiple injuries. The 'Hi Fly' aircraft, operated by the Angolan airline TAAG, ran into "adverse weather conditions" on Thursday, March 23, as it was flying over the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The passengers claimed that panic began to spread at one point, with one man claiming that he believed it would be his "last trip," reported an Angolan newspaper, O Novo Jornal. Shocking images show plates of food and drinks spilled throughout the aisle of the aircraft, the backs of chairs, and the ceiling, which was damaged during the incident.
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Ten people were injured
According to reports, nine other individuals were hurt in addition to the flight attendant who broke her leg. Among the injured was a second member of the cabin crew, along with eight passengers, some of whom were taken to the hospital after the plane landed in Lisbon on Thursday night. One passenger claimed to have taken "more than 200 flights" in his lifetime, but none had ever made him feel this anxious. According to reports, the Airbus A330 began to shake shortly after takeoff from Luanda's international airport.
A post by a Portuguese news outlet said, "Passengers on Thursday's TAAG flight to Lisbon experienced moments of terror as the Hi Fly plane crossed the skies of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) due to severe turbulence that left 10 injured including a crew member who reportedly has a broken leg. provoked by objects like service carts meals, projected into the air."
The Luanda-Lisbon flight rescheduled for the next morning
The post continued, "TAAG has already reacted and justifies problems with atmospheric conditions. In a statement, the flagship airline explains that the problems felt on board were a result of 'adverse weather conditions' and advanced that the company activated an emergency response by sending the ambulance and medical staff to the airport. On the same note, the company advances that flight DT650, Luanda-Lisbon this Thursday, has been rescheduled to Friday morning, due to heavy rain, which made the runway to Luanda impassable, thanks to the diversion of a flight to Kinshasa, DRC."
