Plane overruns runway at Istanbul airport, 52 injured

At least 52 people have been injured after a Pegasus Airlines plane skidded off the runway at Sabiha Gokcen airport in Turkey’s largest city Istanbul and broke into three pieces.

The Boeing 737 was flying from the western province of Izmir with 177 people on board -- 171 passengers and six crew members -- when it made what Transport Minister Cahit Turhan called a rough landing on Wednesday.

He further said no one lost his live in the incident. The airport was shut down and flights were diverted to Istanbul Airport.

"Some passengers evacuated the plane by themselves but others are stuck inside and our rescuers are working to free them," Turhan said on CNN-Turk television.

Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya said emergency response teams had transferred 52 people to hospital.

According to Turkish media reports, the plane's two pilots - a Turkish national and a South Korean- were critically injured.

There had been heavy tail-winds and rain in the area before the incident. Two previous flights had reportedly held off landing due to the poor weather conditions.

SS