Turbulence injures multiple passengers on United Airlines flight, officials say

HOUSTON, Texas -- At least ten people experienced turbulence-related injuries during a United Airlines flight on Tuesday, CBS affiliate KHOU-TV in Houston reports.

The plane was traveling from Panama City, Panama to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas when it experienced weather-related turbulence, United Airlines told CBS News.

In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the flight hit severe turbulence. "United Flight 1031, a Boeing 737, reported encountering severe turbulence in Mexican airspace, about 80 miles east of Cancun. The aircraft landed safely at George Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport just after 2:30 p.m," the statement said.

United said in a statement to CBS News that nine customers and crew members were transferred to area hospitals for treatment. Paramedics met the aircraft on the runway for immediate treatment, United said.  

The others were treated at on the scene for minor injuries, KHOU-TV reports.

Last year, 44 passengers and crew members suffered turbulence-related injuries that were sufficient enough to require reporting to the United States' Federal Aviation Administration. That figure marked a spike since the previous year, when 21 people were injured, but also a significant drop from 2009, when 107 crew members and passengers were injured during turbulence, the FAA reported.

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