Airliner Makes Emergency Landing Because of Turbulence

More than two dozen people were hurt when a Continental Airlines jet hit turbulence on a flight from Brazil to Texas, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Miami early Monday, officials said.

Photo: Airliner Makes Emergency Landing Because of Turbulence

Airliner Makes Emergency Landing Because of Turbulence

According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue spokesman Elkin Sierra, four people were seriously injured and another 22 were in stable condition with bumps and bruises, The Associated Press reports.

Those injured suffered from a variety of injuries, including bumps, bruises, neck pain and back pain, Sierra told CNN's "American Morning."

"The airline will decide whether or not to leave the uninjured passengers on the aircraft and continue the flight or disembark the entire aircraft," CNN reports.

Continental Flight 128 had left Rio de Janeiro at 9:45 p.m. Sunday with 168 people on board and was scheduled to arrive in Houston at 6 a.m. But it experienced heavy turbulence this morning and had to be diverted to Miami, officials said.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen says the plane lreported hitting severe turbulence at 4:30 a.m., The Los Angeles Times reports.