At least eight people were hospitalized early Friday after a New York-bound plane was hit by severe turbulence.
An Avianca plane left Medellin, Colombia, at 10:40 p.m. local time heading for JFK, but it was forced to divert and make an emergency landing in Miami just three hours into the flight, according to FlightAware.
“Multiple patients” were injured, Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue officials told CBS after the plane touched down around 3:30 a.m, with witnesses revealing there were ambulances on the tarmac already waiting.
“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,” Maria Paula Jimenez, a passenger, told CBS Miami.
“Seven of them with their lights on as if they were waiting for something. When we arrived, well, you know, it wasn’t normal.”
Video, seen by NBC6, appears to show passengers with ice packs on their heads while being instructed to stay seated.
Eight people were hospitalized, fire officials revealed, without disclosing the extent of the injuries.
An Avianca flight is set to leave Miami for JFK at 8:25 a.m. Friday.
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