NEW DELHI, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 passengers were injured during evacuation after a passenger plane with more than 150 people on board skidded off the runaway during take-off at the international airport in the western Indian state of Goa Tuesday.
The incident took place at around 5 a.m. local time (2330 GMT Monday) when a Mumbai-bound flight of private airline Jet Airways, which had arrived from Dubai, was about to take off from Goa's Dabolim airport. As the pilots aborted the take-off, the flight spun 360 degrees.
In a statement, Jet Airways said that its Goa to Mumbai flight (9W 2374) veered off the runway while aligning for take-off.
"All guests and crew have been safely evacuated. Few guests have sustained injuries during the evacuation process and medical assistance is being coordinated by the Jet Airways team and the airport authorities," it added.
Local TV channels beamed footage of cellphone shots taken by airport staff and some passengers, which showed that the aircraft's landing gear had completely collapsed, as it sat on its fuselage stuck in the mud.
India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation has initiated a probe into the mishap, a senior aviation official said.
