A passenger plane has crashed in the capital of Mexico’s Durango state, just moments after take-off.
All 103 passengers and crew on board the Aeroméxico flight survived the crash but 97 of them are injured.
State Governor José Rosas Aispuro said the plane was hit by a gust of wind, which caused a sudden descent. Its left wing then touched the ground and two engines came off.
Most of the passengers were able to walk away before it caught fire.
But the airline’s chief executive, Andres Conesa, said the captain had sustained injuries.
“The flight captain is being operated on. What we know so far is that these aren’t life-threatening injuries,” he said.
The names and nationalities of those on board are currently unknown.
Aeroméxico flight AM2431 was flying from Guadalupe Victoria International Airport to Mexico City.
The airport operator, Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte, said early data suggests bad weather was the cause, and that the plane had taken off during a heavy hailstorm before being forced to attempt an emergency landing.
Governor Aispuro said witnesses told him there was a “bang”, before the almost-full Embraer 190 fell to the ground without warning at around 16:00 local time (21:00 GMT).
One passenger told a local television network it felt like a strong air current hit the aircraft.
Civil defence spokesperson Alejandro Cardoza said a fire which started after the crash was put out, and there were no burn victims.
“Many managed to leave the plane on foot,” Mr Cardoza said.
All health care bodies in the state were on alert to take care of the injured, the governor said.
Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto tweeted that he had also instructed federal agencies to help.
Guadalupe Victoria airport was closed after the crash.
In a statement, Aeroméxico said they “deeply regret” the accident, while Brazilian plane company Embraer said they had sent a team to the crash site.
Source: BBC
