A passenger plane has skidded off the runway and broken into three pieces on landing at an airport in Istanbul, injuring 52 people, officials say.
The Pegasus Airlines jet was carrying 171 passengers and six crew members from Izmir province in the west when it crashed at Sabiha Gokcen airport.
Transport Minister Mehmet Cahit Turhan said the Boeing 737 failed to decelerate after a rough landing.
The airport was closed and flights diverted after the accident.
The plane was landing in heavy rain and strong tailwinds, Turkish media reported.
Video footage showed passengers climbing through one of the large cracks to escape via one of the wings, and dozens of rescue workers working around the jet.
Other footage on social media showed a blaze inside the aircraft, which was later put out by firefighters.
The two pilots, a Turkish national and a South Korean, were seriously injured, Turkish media said.
Mr Turhan said authorities had not yet been able to speak to the pilots.
Istanbul’s public prosecutor has launched an inquiry.
The low-cost Pegasus Airlines has a fleet of 83 aircraft – 47 Boeings and 36 Airbus planes – and has been flying for 20 years.
A Pegasus Boeing 737 coming in from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates skidded off the runway at the same airport on 7 January. There were no casualties but the airport had to be temporarily closed.
And a Pegasus Boeing 737 also skidded off the runway at Trabzon airport in January 2018, plunging down the side of a cliff overlooking the sea. There were no casualties.
Source: BBC
