Severe turbulence causes injuries on Lima to Buenos Aires flight

Several people were left injured after an Avianca plane was hit by severe turbulence on a flight from Lima to Buenos Aires.

The Avianca flight AV965 was crossing the Andes and going to Santiago when the turbulence hit.

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An Avianca spokesman said the plane suffered "from strong unexpected turbulence when passing over the Andes Mountain range around 1.11am."

The flight landed at Ezeiza International Airport at 4.16am local time, and passengers were assisted by medical services, reports Airlive.net.

Some reports suggested that at least 20 people were injured, but the airline said that eight crew members and four passengers were injured during the turbulence.

A spokesman told the Daily Mail: "Ten people were admitted to hospital for their respective checks. Six of them have already been released with the all clear and the four remaining, all crew members, continue to receive medical attention at the clinic."

Pictures of the chaotic scene were shared online and showed food strewn all over the floor, attendants in neck braces, and ceiling panels cracked:

According to the Metro, one passenger said: "Nobody from Avianca was there to meet us when we arrived in Ezeiza to see how we were. It was a miracle we survived."

An Avianca spokesman added: "We lament the incident and will remain in contact to monitor the state of those passengers affected."