World News for Students of English

16-05-2016 07:00

Terrifying footage shows passengers on a packed plane praying and crying as it experiences severe and unexpected turbulence, rocking it from side to side.

More than 30 people travelling on the Etihad Airways flight to Indonesia were injured when the plane suddenly hit turbulence. Many suffered broken bones and, according to reports, nine of those hurt are still in hospital. Passengers can be seen raising their hands in the air as they fear for the unknown.

The plane was flying from the Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi to Jakarta in Indonesia yesterday and it did land safely. It was about 45 minutes away from Jakarta, flying over Sumatra, when the turbulence hit. It’s understood officials from the airport and Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee have inspected the plane.

The Federal Aviation Administration says that most turbulence accidents happen at 30,000 feet (9.1 kilometres) or above. It can be hard to predict and the injuries it causes cannot always be prevented by wearing seat belts.

Difficult words: packed (full of people), rock (to move), prevent (to stop something bad from happening).

Source: www.ondemandnews.com