An Air India Express plane with 191 people on board has crashed at an airport in the southern state of Kerala, killing at least 16 people, officials say.
The aircraft, en route from Dubai, skidded off the runway and broke in two at Calicut airport upon landing, India’s aviation authority said.
Rescue efforts are under way, with emergency services at the scene.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “pained by the plane accident”.
MK Raghavan, a lawmaker from Calicut, told the BBC at least 16 people died in the crash.
Most people on board the Boeing 737 jet have been evacuated, with at least 35 of them taken to hospital with injuries, authorities said.
The airline said there were 184 passengers – including 10 children and seven crew members, of which two were pilots – on board flight IX-1344 when it crashed at Calicut, also known as Kozhikode.
The flight was being operated by the government to repatriate Indians stuck overseas during the coronavirus crisis. (BBC)
