8 hospitalized after turbulence forces flight to divert to MIA, officials say

Eight people were rushed to a Miami hospital early Friday morning after a flight to New York City was forced to divert to Miami International Airport due to severe turbulence, according to officials.

According to officials at Miami International Airport, Avianca Flight 042 was headed from Medellín, Colombia, to New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport when the severe turbulence was reported.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue told CBS News Miami that “multiple patients” were injured, and the flight landed safely at MIA around 3:30 a.m. Friday.

“When we arrived, when we landed, we saw that very close to where we were going to disembark, there were more than five or six ambulances. Seven of them with their lights on as if they were waiting for something,” passenger Maria Paula Jimenez told CBS News Miami in Spanish. “When we arrived, well, you know, it wasn’t normal.”

Eight of the injured passengers were brought to the hospital after the plane landed, MDFR continued.

The extent of the injuries is unknown.

CBS News Miami has reached out for more information and will update this story as soon as new details are received.