A PLANE was left strewn with food and safety equipment after being hit with severe turbulence in a nightmare eight-hour flight.

According to The Sun, more than a dozen passengers were injured during the terrifying flight from Miami, Florida, to Buenos Aires in Argentina.

In shocking photographs from inside the plane, a curtain rail could be seen ripped from the ceiling while oxygen masks dangled from above.

Food and belongings were also seen tossed about the plane as shell-shocked passengers gazed around them.

Other photographs showed the floor covered with objects thrown from above, with overhead lockers swinging open.

A passenger posted shocking video of the cabin left in disarray after the turbulence.

According to the airline, the chaos unfolded when the plane reached cruising altitude and there were sudden movements due to the atmospheric changes.

Eight people on the flight AR1303 were treated at hospital on Thursday night.

Others were treated on the plane and at the airport when it landed at Ministro Pistarini International Airport about 7.30pm on Thursday.

An airline spokesperson said: “The company arranged its medical equipment at the arrival of the flight to assist those passengers who suffered blows or bruises due to the sudden movements that this type of atmospheric conditions cause.”

They added: “Once the turbulence zone was crossed, the crew in charge of the flight dedicated to assist the injured passengers and to relieve the general condition of the 192 passengers.

“Upon arrival, the medical assistance teams carried out the corresponding health care and applied the necessary care to each of the affected persons.

“In the same way, those responsible for human factors of Aerolineas Argentinas were present to provide containment and meet the particular needs of passengers.”

Turbulence occurs when two air masses of different temperatures or different speed collide. According to their intensity, these turbulences can produce sudden movements in the aircraft, although the safety of the flight is usually not in jeopardy.