The Spanish airline Air Europa said on Monday that 30 passengers were injured after a flight from Madrid to Uruguay experienced "severe turbulence" and was forced to make an emergency landing in Brazil.

Air Europa stated in a post on X: "Our flight UX045 headed to Montevideo was diverted to Natal Airport (in Brazil) due to severe disturbance."

"The plane landed normally and those who suffered various injuries are already receiving treatment."

The aircraft that experienced the turbulence was a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. The aircraft has the capacity to accommodate up to 339 passengers, according to Air Europa.

Maximiliano, one of the passengers, told Reuters, "From one moment to the next, the plane was jolted and people without seat belts flew up into the air and hit the ceiling, getting injured - those who were wearing seat belts were not injured."

Another passenger named Stefan told the news agency, "There are passengers with fractures and injuries to their arms, faces, and legs. There are about 30 injured people. It was an extremely terrifying experience; we thought we were going to die there, but thank God that didn't happen."

The Spanish airline said another plane was scheduled to depart later on Monday from Madrid to transport stranded passengers in Brazil to continue their journey to Uruguay.

Air Europa added that anyone needing healthcare is receiving treatment at Natal International Airport in Brazil.

This news comes as the latest development in a series of bad publicity for Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer.

Although there is currently no evidence that the injuries aboard the Air Europa flight were related to a safety malfunction, Boeing has recently faced a series of whistleblowers claiming safety issues within the company.

Just last week, a whistleblower alleged that parts of Boeing 787 Dreamliners were manufactured unsafely - potentially leading to "devastating consequences." Sam Salehpour, a former engineer at Boeing, stated he discovered and reported similar flaws in the 787 and 777 aircraft.

For nearly two years beginning in 2021, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing halted deliveries of new Dreamliner aircraft while investigating the flaws. Boeing stated it made changes to its manufacturing process and eventually resumed deliveries.

More than ten whistleblowers have come forward against Boeing in recent years, with the number significantly increasing since the door seal of a 737 Max exploded in January shortly after takeoff, leaving a large gap in the side of the aircraft.

The Federal Aviation Administration has opened multiple investigations involving Boeing, and the U.S. Department of Justice has stated it may file criminal charges against the company due to its continued failures in quality and safety.