A Ryanair flight en route to Milan was forced to make an emergency landing in southern Germany on Wednesday night after encountering heavy turbulence from a thunderstorm, German police said.
The aircraft, which departed from Berlin, landed safely in Memmingen, around 115 kilometres west of Munich, after the pilot initiated the emergency landing due to worsening weather conditions.
Bavarian police said in a statement that nine people were injured during the descent, including eight passengers and one crew member.
Among those hurt was a woman with a head injury, her two-year-old child who suffered bruises, and a 59-year-old woman complaining of back pain. The three were taken to the hospital, while others received treatment at the scene.
One passenger told local media the turbulence was so violent they feared the aircraft would “break apart”.
Ryanair said in a statement on Thursday that the flight’s captain had requested medical assistance prior to landing. The airline apologised for the disruption and said a replacement flight was arranged to take passengers to Milan.
However, police reported that the airline had instead organised bus transfers, as local aviation authorities had not cleared any immediate onward flights.
The incident is under review by local aviation and safety officials.
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