OTTAWA, Aug. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- A passenger jet of Air France burst into flames after skidding off the runway while trying to land at Toronto's Pearson International Airport Tuesday afternoon, the Canadian Press reported.

    Canadian television quoted police as saying that the pilot and a number of passengers had been taken to hospital.

    There was no immediate official word on casualties or the number of passengers and crew involved.

    The airline's A340s are generally configured for 252 passenger seats. Local media reports said there are about 200 passengers on aboard the plane.

    Televison pictures showed smoke billowing from a wooded area near Highway 401, Canada's busiest highway as emergency crews sped to the scene. A portion of the plane's wing could be seen jutting from the trees.

    Witnesses told Canadian television stations that the plane had apparently skidded off the runway after landing in rainy conditions.

    It was too early to say what might have caused the plane to miss the end of the runway.

    Severe thunderstorms and heavy winds in the Toronto area have been causing numerous flight delays and cancellations Tuesday.

    The last major jumbo jet crash in North America was on Nov. 12,2001, when American Airlines Flight 587 lost part of its tail and plummeted into a New York City neighborhood, killing 265 people. Safety investigators concluded that the crash was caused by the pilot moving the rudder too aggressively. Enditem