Several passengers onboard a Phuket-Delhi Air India flight sustained injuries on their heads and a baby was also reportedly hurt when the aircraft experienced a monetary change in altitude during a mid-air turbulence on Tuesday.
At least 14 people – 10 passengers and two crew members – were injured in the incident onboard AI2379. Details on the total number of passengers on the flight could not be immediately ascertained.
“We were sleeping since it was a morning flight when the aircraft suddenly stopped before taking a turn. It kept turning around. Several passengers were injured in the incident. A baby was also hurt. I also hurt my back,” one of the passengers said.
Another passenger said: “The plane suddenly dropped altitude and passengers hit their heads against the overhead bins.
{{/usCountry}}Another passenger said: “The plane suddenly dropped altitude and passengers hit their heads against the overhead bins.
{{/usCountry}}A third passenger told ANI that she saw her sister “thrown up into the air from her seat”. “I am from Italy. My mother hurt her head. My phone fell. The people sitting behind me were also hurt. A man had blood on his face. We thought we would die. It was really scary,” she said.
“I was shaking and crying. It was horrible. I cannot hear well right now,” she added.
The injured passengers are undergoing treatment at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram and India Spinal Injury Centre in Vasant Kunj, an official told HT on condition of anonymity.
Images and videos from inside AI2379 showed cracks developed on a couple of overhead cabin bins. Some visuals also showed passengers, who were already disturbed by the turbulence, worried about the damaged overhead bins.
In a statement, the airline said “the aircraft landed safely in Delhi, and all passengers and crew have safely disembarked.”
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"A small number of passengers and crew members with minor injuries requiring medical assessment have been taken to a medical facility at the airport for precautionary examination and care by Air India’s airport team and medical personnel,” it said.
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The official quoted above said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also been informed about the incident. A DGCA official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the pilot-in-command said a cabin crew member was severely injured. A transient technical fault is also suspected and a probe is underway, the official said.
The flight took off from Phuket at 8:25 am and landed in Delhi at 11:00 am, according to data on flightradar24.com. Information available on the website showed that the flight operated with an A320 aircraft lost altitude sometime before landing at the Delhi airport.