(CNN) – A LATAM Airlines plane was damaged en route from Santiago, Chile, to Asunción, Paraguay and forced to make an emergency landing at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport on Wednesday after encountering “severe weather conditions” on its flight path, the agency said airline with CNN in a statement on Thursday.
“Passengers and crew are safe and well,” the statement said, adding that the airline regrets “any inconvenience this weather situation may have caused its passengers.”
Telefuturo, a CNN affiliate, reported that 48 people were traveling on the flight.
Images obtained by the station show the damaged aircraft with the nose missing and the windshield smashed.
The General Directorate of Civil Aviation of Chile reported in a statement on Thursday that the Paraguayan aviation authorities have launched an investigation and that a team of specialists from the Chilean entity “will be integrated on site to assist in this investigation process”.
CNN en Español contacted the Paraguayan National Directorate of Civil Aviation on Thursday for more information, but has yet to receive a response.
Scary flight for passenger
“Near Asuncion, the terrible turbulence started and people were already panicking, and then the pilot tells us to prepare for an emergency landing,” passenger Pabla Thomen told private radio station Monumental AM 1080 on Thursday.
Thomen added that she became scared and hugged her daughter during the turbulence and at one point her seat belt came undone. She was able to put her seat belt back on with the help of another passenger.
The woman also stated in the phone interview that at one point she “said goodbye to her daughter, told her that she loved her, adored her and that they would always be together.”
Picture above: This LATAM plane landed in Paraguay with nose damage. (By Telefuturo)