Passenger plane catches fire, breaks apart in Turkey after skidding off runway

by Marty Johnson - 02/05/20 11:59 AM ET

A passenger plane skidded off the runway, broke apart and then caught fire Wednesday as it landed at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen airport, CNN reported.

The Pegasus Airlines flight was carrying 177 passengers and six crew members, according to Reuters. Turkey’s Transportation Ministry said there were no deaths, though many on board have been taken to hospitals to treat injuries.

“There has been no loss of life, the injured passengers are being evacuated off the plane to hospitals,” Turkish Transportation Minister Cahit Turhan said.

Sabiha Gökçen’de İzmir-İstanbul seferini yapan yolcu uçağı inişte parçalandıhttps://t.co/4OdIfMMI3m pic.twitter.com/a2Ke7o9TbK

— T24 (@t24comtr) February 5, 2020

Gov. Ali Yerlikaya of Istanbul tweeted that as of 7:40 p.m. local time, 52 people had been taken to hospitals and that Turkish emergency crews were still on scene evacuating the remaining passengers.

Sabiha Gökçen Havalimanı’ndan saat 19.40 itibariyle 52 yaralımızı ambulanslarla çevredeki hastanelere sevk ettik.

112 Acil, 110 İtfaiye ve AFAD ekiplerimizce başlatılan tahliye çalışmalarımız devam ediyor.

Gelişmeleri paylaşmaya devam edeceğiz.

— Ali Yerlikaya (@yerlikayaali34) February 5, 2020

Following the accident, all flights were suspended at Sabiha Gokcen.

All flights at #Turkey #Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen airport been suspended after a plane belonging to the Turkish low- cost airline Pegasus overran the runway & broke into 3 sections. Authorities say all 164 passengers were evacuated safely.

— Rozita Riazati (@RozitaRiazati) February 5, 2020

Updated at 12:40 p.m.

Tags airplane crash Istanbul Turkey Turkey