Turbulence injures 9 on Ryanair flight from Berlin to Milan

A Ryanair airlines flight from Berlin to Milan was forced to make an emergency landing in southern Germany after encountering severe turbulence, leaving nine people injured, including a two-year-old child.

The incident happened around 8:25 p.m. local time on Wednesday, when the plane, carrying 179 passengers and six crew members, hit extreme weather while flying over the Allgäu region, according to German police.

The turbulence left seven passengers and one crew member with injuries, with three requiring hospitalization. Among those hospitalized were a toddler with bruises, a woman with a head laceration, and a passenger who complained of back pain.

The flight, identified as FR8, was diverted to Memmingen Airport, west of Munich, where it landed safely. Ryanair confirmed that the captain requested emergency medical assistance during the flight. Upon landing, first responders treated the injured and the rest of the passengers were transferred by bus to continue their journey to Milan.

“I’ve never been afraid before – but at that moment I thought the plane was going to break apart or roll over!,” a passenger told the German newspaper Bild.

The incident occurred as severe storms swept through parts of southern Germany. The extent of the damage to the aircraft, if any, has not yet been disclosed.