‘I was terrified’: passengers recount turbulence after China flight diverts
Screams heard on video recorded in cabin as intense thunderstorms hit Taiyuan-bound aircraft on Monday
The plane was flying from Zhuhai to the city of Taiyuan in Shanxi province when it was diverted to Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport in Hebei province “due to thunderstorms” in Taiyuan, the airline said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Many passengers were screaming,” a passenger surnamed Wang told Jimu News, an official newspaper affiliated with the Hubei Communist Party committee. “I just gripped the armrest tightly, shut my eyes and felt my heart jump into my throat. I was terrified but did not dare to speak.”
She said that the flight had been smooth after departing from Zhuhai, and at around 9.20pm the crew announced that the plane was preparing to land in Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi.
But instead of descending, another announcement said weather in Taiyuan had made landing impossible and the flight would divert to Shijiazhuang, she said.
The stretch from Taiyuan to Shijiazhuang experienced severe turbulence and flashes of lightning were visible outside the windows, Wang said. “After the screams subsided, the cabin became very quiet, and you could feel the tension everywhere.”