Severe turbulence injures passengers on transatlantic flight

At least 12 people were injured when an Aerolineas Argentinas flight traveling over the Atlantic from Madrid to Buenos Aires encountered severe turbulence on Tuesday night.

The Airbus A330 was carrying 271 passengers and 13 crew at the time of the incident.

Some passengers took to social media to share their terrifying experiences. Photos showed debris spread throughout the plane’s cabin.

Aerolineas Argentinas confirmed that three people needed to be placed under “careful observation” after the aircraft landed in Buenos Aires while nine others were treated for “light injuries.”

“According to the information given by the crew, the safety belt lights were on and the corresponding announcement was made,” the airline said in a statement to CNN. “The passengers that were more injured, and those that had to be transferred, were not wearing the safety belt at the moment of the turbulence.

“An evaluation of the aircraft did not show significant damage to its structure,” the carrier added.