(FRANK RUMPENHORST/AFP/Getty Images)

RIO DE JANEIRO -- A TAM Airlines flight hit turbulence so severe that 12 passengers and crew members on the plane from Madrid to Sao Paulo were injured and the aircraft was forced to make an unscheduled landing.

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The airline says in a statement that Flight 8065 had to land in the northeastern Brazilian city of Fortaleza early Monday after hitting the sudden turbulence.

Passengers say the turbulence lasted only a few seconds, but it caused panic and slammed several people to the cabin's roof. Many of them had been sleeping.

TAM says two people remain hospitalized after the incident. The statement didn't specify the injuries, but passengers told local media many people suffered cuts and a few appeared to have broken bones.

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