Qatar Airways jet makes emergency landing after turbulence injures passengers

A Qatar Airways flight made an emergency landing at a Portuguese military base on Sunday following severe turbulence onboard.

Flight QR708, travelling from Washington to Doha, was re-routed to the Azores islands in the North Atlantic, and landed at the Lajes Air Base around five hours after takeoff.

According to reports, several passengers onboard the Boeing 777 jet were injured during the turbulence.

“All the passengers were taken to a hotel in the evening and are due to depart on Monday morning,” an airbase spokesman told AFP, adding that several people onboard had “suffered light injuries during the turbulence”.

“There was a medical emergency as one of the passengers had a cardiac complaint during the turbulence,” a civil protection official in the Azores told the agency. “He was hospitalised along with two other passengers.”

Qatar Airways said it had dispatched an aircraft to Azores to bring the passengers back to Doha and that it was arranging hotels and visas for passengers.

However, passengers complained about poor arrangements.

Very angry scenes here. Passengers upset that @Qatarairways staff abandoned them. Here is what is left behind #QR708 pic.twitter.com/q9ZG26TgyE

— Azad Essa (@azadessa) December 4, 2016

Usual suspects still waiting. No information. No food. No compassion for elderly, children. #QR708 pretty shocking @qatarairways pic.twitter.com/L8UlgbpQRj

— Azad Essa (@azadessa) December 4, 2016

@qatarairways How come passengers were left on their own at the airport? Plane crew just headed straight to the hotel? https://t.co/Vy4ERsRU6n

— Ted Regencia (@tedregencia) December 4, 2016

Impatient #QR708 passengers waiting 4 the most precious thing at this moment: a #Schengen #visa. Taking forever. pic.twitter.com/Ums5a5ETUY

— Anjali Sarker (@anjalisarker) December 4, 2016