15 hurt on turbulent flight from Miami to Argentina

Oct. 19 (UPI) -- More than a dozen people were injured on a turbulent flight from Miami to South America Thursday, officials said.

Aerolineas Argentinas Flight 1303 left Miami for Buenos Aires early Thursday. By the time it landed in Argentina that evening, 15 passengers had been hurt from turbulence, officials said. Eight were hospitalized.

Photos posted online show food, tray tables and other debris strewn about the plane. Nearly 200 passengers were aboard the flight. At one point, oxygen masks were deployed in the passenger cabin.

The airline described the injuries as "blows or bruises."

"Turbulence occurs when two air masses of different temperatures or velocities collide. These can produce sudden movements in the aircraft according to their intensity, although they do not in any way jeopardize the safety of the aircraft," the airline said in a statement on its website.