Passengers on an Avianca flight traveling between Medellin and Barranquilla in Colombia, experienced moments of terror when a severe thunderstorm hit the region, causing intense turbulence that forced the plane to divert to Cartagena.
CARTAGENA, Colombia – Passengers aboard an international flight traveling through Colombia experienced a harrowing ordeal when a severe thunderstorm struck the region, causing intense turbulence that forced the plane to make an emergency landing.
Captured in a video by passenger Zuleima Ebratt, the chaotic scene onboard an Avianca flight unfolded as the aircraft was buffeted by strong winds and sudden drops in altitude somewhere after taking off from Medellín.
“It was a very panicky moment, (and we) thought the plane was going to crash,” Ebratt said, recounting her deepest fear.
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Other scared passengers could be heard screaming in Spanish, “Dios mío,” or “My God” in English, as the plane lurched violently. Flight crew members urgently instructed passengers to remain seated and fasten their seatbelts as they called for medical assistance.
“Due to bad weather around the Barranquilla airport, turbulence occurred, so the captain made the decision to divert to Cartagena’s airport,” the airline told local news outlet El Colombiano.
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Passengers on an Avianca flight traveling between Medellin and Barranquilla in Colombia experienced moments of terror when a severe thunderstorm hit the region, causing intense turbulence that forced the plane to divert to Cartagena.
(Zuleima Ebratt via Storyful)
The aircraft landed safely at 6:39 p.m. at Rafael Nunez International Airport, where passengers received immediate medical attention, according to reports. The flight subsequently resumed its journey to Barranquilla, arriving a few hours later.
The storm, which caused significant damage throughout the region, left at least 152 homes without roofs and disrupted air travel over the city, according to the Colombian government. Falling trees also damaged schools, nurseries and sports centers, leading to traffic disruptions.