At least nine passengers and crew members were hospitalised early Friday after severe turbulence hit an Avianca flight bound for New York, forcing an emergency landing in Miami after the aircraft dropped 25,000 feet, the New York Post reported.

The Airbus A320 took off from Medellin, Colombia, at 10:40 pm local time Thursday for New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). It was diverted to Miami about three hours into the flight.

The aircraft climbed to around 35,000 feet as it flew over Jamaica and Cuba, heading north, before making a sharp descent about two and a half hours after departure. According to FlightRadar24 data, the plane lost 25,000 feet within minutes before landing in Miami.

Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue officials said “multiple patients” were injured after the plane touched down at around 3:30 am. At least one of the injured was seriously hurt and was rushed to a trauma centre.

The airline later said that nine people, including three crew members, went to a medical facility for treatment.

Passenger Maria Paula Jimenez told CBS Miami that several ambulances were waiting near the disembarkation area when the plane landed.

“When we arrived, when we landed, we saw that very close to where we were going to disembark, there were more than five or six ambulances,” she said.

“Seven of them with their lights on as if they were waiting for something. When we arrived, well, you know, it wasn’t normal,” she added.

The video seen by NBC6 appears to show passengers with ice packs on their heads while they are instructed to stay seated.

Avianca said uninjured passengers were flown to New York City on Friday morning.

“The safety of our customers and employees is, and will remain, the foundation of our operations,” the airline said in a statement.

It was not immediately clear how many passengers and crew were on board.