Turbulence on Air India flight leaves 17 injured after sudden crash; look

Among the injured were 13 passengers and four crew members. The sudden change in altitude threw people out of their seats and caused moments of panic inside the cabin.

Passengers report panic during turbulence

A passenger told Asian News International (ANI) that the flight was proceeding normally when the turbulence began.

"The plane seemed to be flying normally, but suddenly turbulence started. I saw my sister being thrown from her seat. My mother hit her head", he reported.

According to her, people in the back rows were also injured. A man was bleeding from his face.

"We thought we were going to die. It was very scary. I was shaking and crying," he said.

Another passenger said the turbulence occurred approximately 90 minutes after takeoff.

Air India plane landed safely

Despite the sudden loss of altitude, the aircraft managed to continue its journey and landed safely in New Delhi.

The injured were taken for medical care. Five passengers were discharged from hospital after evaluation.

An official from India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the case would be investigated. According to the commander's report, one of the crew suffered serious injuries.

What does Air India say about the incident

The airline confirmed that flight AI2379 faced short-term turbulence, responsible for a momentary change in altitude.

"Air India confirms that flight AI2379, which departed Phuket for Delhi on August 4, experienced brief turbulence, which resulted in a momentary change in altitude. The aircraft landed safely, and all passengers and crew disembarked," a company spokesperson told the Indian Express newspaper.

Previous Air India plane crash

The episode occurred about a year after another Air India plane crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad en route to London.

At the time, 241 people died. Only one passenger survived the accident.