'Severe' Turbulence Leaves 15 Passengers Injured

There's turbulence, and then there's turbulence. Passengers and crew aboard Aerolineas Argentinas Flight 1303 experienced the latter Thursday during a flight from Florida to Argentina, the Miami Herald reports. Fifteen of the 192 passengers on board were injured, suffering "blows or bruises due to the sudden movements" during the "severe" turbulence, per a statement from the airline. Of the injured, seven were treated at Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires upon arrival, USA Today reports, and eight were taken to the hospital. The airline described the injuries as "minor."

"Once the turbulence zone was crossed," Aerolineas said in its statement, "the crew in charge of the flight was dedicated to assist the injured passengers." According to the airline, the turbulence, caused by the collision of air masses of different temperatures, occurred during the flight's "cruise" phase. Images from the flight shared on social media show dangling oxygen masks and the plane's cabin strewn with food and other debris. The flight, a daily run to Argentina's capital, left Miami at 9:16am and landed at its destination about a half hour behind schedule. Frightful as it may be, turbulence does not "jeopardize the safety of the aircraft," the airline says. ("Wake turbulence" caused this flight to nosedive.)