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A Florida-bound JetBlue flight experienced such extreme turbulence as the plane approached the Sunshine State on Monday that multiple people on board were left injured and had to be taken to the hospital, the airline said.
JetBlue Flight 1256 from Guayaquil, Ecuador, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, "experienced sudden severe turbulence as it neared Florida," a spokesperson for the airline told Insider in a statement.
The flight "landed safely" at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport just after 5 a.m., according to the JetBlue rep.
The airline spokesperson said medical personnel took seven of the passengers and one crew member to the hospital "for evaluation and treatment."
The Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue, which responded to the incident, told Insider that it transported five people from the flight to the hospital. It's not clear how badly the passengers and crew member were hurt.
"JetBlue will work to support our customers and crew members," the airline spokesperson said in the statement.
The airline said that the plane that was hit by the turbulence was taken out of service for inspection, which is standard practice.
Meanwhile, a recent study showed that turbulence is, in fact, getting worse.
According to the study by the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading, UK, the occurrence of severe clear-air turbulence has increased by 55% in the past 40 years, while moderate turbulence has increased by 37%, and light by 17%.
One atmospheric science professor previously told Insider that climate change could be to blame for the bumpier rides.
