Turbulence injures 30 on flight from Istanbul to New York

Thirty people on board a flight from Turkey to New York were injured during severe turbulence over Maine, with one person suffering a broken leg, officials said.

Dozens of ambulances lined up in front of the terminal at New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport to quickly treat the injured coming off the flight that left Istanbul for the 10-hour trip.

Spokesman Steve Coleman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said 28 people were taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Centre after the plane touched down at 5.35pm local time (10.35pm GMT) on Saturday. Two went to Queens Hospital Medical Centre.

A flight attendant suffered a broken leg, Mr Coleman said.

Others were said to have suffered bumps, bruises and cuts.

Turkish Airlines Flight 1 flew into the turbulence about 45 minutes before landing at JFK, said Mr Coleman.

The crew declared an emergency while the Boeing 777 was still in the air, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The plane was carrying more than 300 passengers and crew members.

The US National Weather Service had issued advisories on Saturday warning pilots of expected turbulence.

“Nobody announced it or anything like that so we figured out something was wrong,” passenger Sead Nikaj told ABC News.

“Then I see people start flying on the plane. Then seeing blood all over. I had one of the ladies next to me, she really fell down from her seat on the floor and all her back was completely bloody, while someone that was working in the airplane, she cracked her leg I think completely.”

Turkish Airlines officials issued a statement confirming the flight “encountered an unusual turbulence about 40 minutes before landing” in New York.

The airline said it is “deeply saddened by this unfortunate experience, and closely monitors the health status of injured passengers, and is making resources available to them”.