Transportation

8 passengers and 2 crew were hurt when a plane hit severe turbulence and sent carts flying during a meal service, reports say

Hi Fly Malta Airbus A340-500.
The turbulence occurred on the flight from Luanda to Lisbon. Getty Images
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A plane bound for Portugal hit severe turbulence as meals were being served, injuring eight passengers and two crew, reports say.

Hi Fly flight DT 652, operated by Angolan airline TAAG, was travelling from the Angolan capital of Luanda to Lisbon on Thursday when it ran into turbulence over the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Novo Jornal first reported

The Angolan publication described scenes of terror for passengers on the plane, who said food and drink carts were flung around the cabin during the worst of the turbulence.

Pictures and videos on social media appear to show plates of food strewn across the floor of the plane and an apparent crack in the ceiling.

The turbulence eventually abated five hours into the eight-hour journey, according to Novo Jornal. Flight tracking data shows the jet landed in Lisbon at 8:37 p.m. local time.

Eight passengers and two flight attendants were injured, with one needing aid from a doctor on board, Novo Jornal and CNN Portugal reported. 

The National Institute of Medical Emergencies told CNN Portugal that an emergency medical team met the flight in Lisbon but found no serious cases.

TAAG told Novo Jornal in a statement that "adverse weather conditions" were to blame.

The airline didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider made outside normal working hours.

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Ryan was a Junior Weekend Business Reporter at Insider's London office. A former economist, Ryan has expertise across the labor market and regional drivers of economic growth. He regularly writes about the future of the labor market, the economy and consumer affairs for Insider.Ryan is a published academic author for his work covering the impacts of COVID-19 on the Irish labor market and on the country's creative sector. He previously worked for the Financial Times as an editorial intern.