Seven passengers injured by severe turbulence on United Airlines flight

Seven people have been injured after severe turbulence forced a flight from Mexico to Chicago to divert to Tennessee on Wednesday.

The United Airlines flight UA1196 was forced to land at Memphis International Airport at around 2.40pm after experiencing “a brief period of severe turbulence” over Louisiana, the airline said.

The turbulence hit when the aircraft’s seatbelt sign was still on.

One person was rushed to hospital by paramedics shortly after landing, while six other passengers suffered minor injuries, according to the Memphis Fire Department.

A spokesperson for United said: “We're grateful to our crew for their efforts to ensure the safety of our employees and customers.”

The flight was able to take off and continue its path to Chicago on Wednesday evening.

The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into the incident.

Two cabin crew members were injured 20 minutes into an easyJet flight from Corfu to London last week during a period of severe turbulence, forcing it to make an emergency landing in Rome.

The crew members had been in the middle of serving food to 181 passengers on board when they suffered the injuries.

Severe turbulence on flights can be caused by storms, mountains and strong air currents called jet streams.

Fatalities and injuries during turbulence are rare, but experts have warned that severe incidents could increase due to climate change.

Between 2009 and 2021, 146 passengers and crew were seriously hurt in incidents of turbulence, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

In May, a British passenger died and seven people were critically injured on a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore during severe turbulence.

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