Twelve people have been injured, including eight taken to the hospital, after a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Ireland encountered turbulence, Dublin Airport reported. Flight QR017, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, landed safely and as scheduled before 1 pm local time on Sunday.
"Upon landing, the aircraft was met by emergency services, including Airport Police and our Fire and Rescue department, due to 6 passengers and 6 crew [12 total] on board reporting injuries after the aircraft experienced turbulence while airborne over Turkey," Dublin Airport said in a statement. "All passengers were assessed for injury prior to disembarking the aircraft. Eight passengers were subsequently taken to the hospital."
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Irish broadcaster RTÉ said the incident lasted less than 20 seconds and occurred during meal service. Passenger Paul Mocc told RTÉ that he saw "people hitting the roof", and food and drinks flying everywhere. Another traveler, Emma Rose Power, told RTÉ that after the turbulence, "some of the flight attendants I saw, they had scratches on their face, they had ice to their face. There was one girl that had a sling on her arm."
Qatar Airways said in a statement that a "small number" of passengers and crew sustained minor injuries during the flight and were receiving medical attention. The airline did not directly comment on the turbulence but said the matter is subject to an internal investigation. "The safety and security of our passengers and crew are our top priority," it said.
This incident occurred just five days after a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore was forced to land in Bangkok due to severe turbulence, which resulted in the death of a 73-year-old British man and left 20 others in intensive care. This recent series of turbulence-related incidents highlights the unpredictable nature of such events, despite weather forecasts that help pilots react.
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