“Our flight bound for Montevideo was diverted to Natal due to strong turbulence,” Air Europa said in a statement on social media platform X.
Footage shared on social media show the shocking extent of the damage caused by the turbulence.
One video shared on X appears to show a man thrown into the overhead luggage compartment with his legs dangling in the air, while a baby is heard crying in the background.
Another video shows a person strapped on a stretcher and carried out of the plane as passengers look on.
A destroyed seat, ripped-off ceiling panels and dropped oxygen masks could be seen in other photos and footage taken by passengers.
Speaking to Uruguayan outlet El Observador, passenger Norys said: “A long time after that, there was a very, very slight turbulence, it was barely felt, and from one moment to the next the plane abruptly fell and we all went up.”
He added: “Those who did not have seatbelts flew and some remained hooked to the roof.”
According to Natal’s State Department, 15 ambulances were dispatched to the airport and 30 people were hospitalised.
This comes as more than a dozen passengers were reported injured on a Korean Air flight last week.
A major system failure resulted in the Boeing aircraft suddenly dropping 8168m (26,900ft) in just 15 minutes. Seventeen passengers were hospitalised with minor injuries.
