BREAKING: 11 people injured after Manchester Airport-bound flight hits 'freak turbulence'
26.12.2023 - 11:41
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A plane bound for Manchester Airport on Christmas Eve hit 'freak turbulence' - leaving eleven passengers injured.
Passengers onboard the P&O Caribbean cruise charter flight from Barbados were due to land back at Manchester on Christmas Eve. But the plane, with 225 passengers on board, was forced to divert to Bermuda for nearly three days.
Emergency crews raced to the airport and transported 11 people to hospital, according to Bermudan officials. Thankfully, each of the 11 passengers only sustained minor injuries, with nine of them having been discharged from hospital already, the Mirror reports.
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The Maleth Aero Flight 1975's 13 crew members were unharmed. The aircraft is now scheduled to depart at 4pm today, with an arrival in the early hours of tomorrow.
In a tweet, a P&O spokesperson said the aircraft hit 'freak turbulence'. It happened around two-and-a-half hours into the flight, while the plane was cruising at 38,000 feet.
In a tweet on December 24, a P&O spokesperson said: "A flight from Barbados to Manchester was diverted to Bermuda earlier this morning following freak turbulence. Guests are currently in hotels awaiting their flight home which is expected to depart tomorrow following required legislative aircraft checks."
A statement from Bermuda's Ministry of Security said: "At approximately 12.50am, Maleth Aero Flight 1975, an Airbus A300-200, en route from Barbados to Manchester experienced severe turbulence, necessitating an emergency landing at LF Wade International Airport. The aircraft executed a