ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB AT CRUISE. FLC WAS WARNED BY COMPANY DISPATCH AND ATC OF TURB OVER THE MOUNTAINS. SEAT BELT SIGN WAS TURNED ON AND FLT ATTENDANTS SEATED; BUT STILL THERE WERE SOME INJURIES. EMER MEDICAL PERSONNEL MET THE FLT. ACFT NOT DAMAGED.

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APPROX 20 MINS AFTER TKOF WE RECEIVED MESSAGE FROM DISPATCH THAT THERE WAS RPT OF TURB OVER MOUNTAINS. AT THE SAME TIME WE GOT A SIMILAR RPT FROM ATC. CAPT TURNED ON SEAT BELT SIGN AND TOLD FLT ATTENDANT TO SIT DOWN AFTER STOWING CARTS. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER THE ACFT STARTED TO NIBBLE AND I SLOWED THE ACFT. 30 SECONDS LATER THE BOTTOM FELL OUT. THE ACFT PITCHED UP AND DOWN +/- 300 FT AND AIRSPD JUMPED TO THE BARBER POLE. THIS LASTED FOR 10 SECONDS BEFORE THE AIRSPD BEGAN TO REDUCE. AFTER AIRSPD WAS UNDER CTL I INCREASED THE PWR TO MAINTAIN ALT. WE WERE TOO SLOW TO MAINTAIN ALT AND LOST 1000 FT. AT THIS TIME THE ACFT WAS UNDER CTL AND WE INFORMED ATC. THE EVENT LASTED ABOUT 3 MINS. WE CHKED ON PAX AND FLT ATTENDANT AND WERE PLEASED TO FIND FEW INJURIES. I FEEL THE QUICK ACTION OF CAPT IN TURNING ON THE SEAT BELT SIGN IS THE PRIMARY REASON THERE WERE NO SERIOUS INJURIES. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK CAPT FOR THE CONFIDENCE HE HAD IN MY ABILITIES AND OUR CREW COORD PROVED TO BE SUCCESSFUL. MAINT INSPECTED THE ACFT AND NO DAMAGE WAS FOUND. EMS MET THE ACFT AND THE ONLY INJURIES NOTED WERE 2 COMPLAINTS OF NECK AND BACK INJURIES.