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Multiple people injured after flight from Rio de Janeiro to Houston encounters severe turbulence

5 people taken to the hospital with minor injuries

File image of a United Airlines jetliner. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File) (David Zalubowski, Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

HOUSTON – Multiple United Airlines passengers were injured on Monday morning when their flight from Rio de Janeiro to Houston encountered severe turbulence, according to media reports.

KPRC, KSAT’s sister station in Houston, reported that the flight landed just before 5:30 a.m. at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

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United Airlines released a statement to KPRC that said two passengers and three crew members were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

The full statement reads:

“United flight 128 encountered unexpected turbulence while enroute to Houston. Upon arrival, two passengers and three crewmembers were met by medical personnel and taken to a local hospital with minor injuries. We’re grateful to our crew for their efforts to ensure the safety of our employees and customers.”

Monday’s incident occurred a day after 20 people were hospitalized after their Hawaiian Airlines flight from Phoenix to Honolulu experienced severe turbulence.

Eleven of those hospitalized were in serious condition.

Jon Snook, the airline’s chief operating officer, said the airline hasn’t experienced “an incident of this nature in recent history.”

The full flight was carrying 278 passengers and 10 crew members, the Associated Press reported.

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About the Author
Rebecca Salinas headshot

Rebecca Salinas is the Digital Executive Producer at KSAT 12 News. A San Antonio native, Rebecca is an award-winning journalist who joined KSAT in 2019.

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