Passengers escape after plane skids off runway into river in Jacksonville, Florida
Florida (The Guardian) : All passengers and crew on a Boeing 737 aircraft have escaped with their lives after the plane skidded off the runway at Jacksonville airport in Florida and landed in a river.
The Miami Air International plane, believed to be chartered by the US military, was trying to land at a navy airport at around 9.40pm local time after a flight from Guantanamo Bay in Cuba when it slid off the strip and into shallow water in the St John’s river.
Officials said everyone on the plane was alive and accounted for. Twnty-one adults were transported to local hospitals for minor injries but were in good condition.
Local television said a heavy thunderstorm was taking place when the plane was trying to land.
Reports said there were 136 passengers on board but it was not clear how many crew were on the plane.
The mayor of Jacksonville said on Twitter that everyone on board the flight was “alive and accounted for” but that crews were working to control jet fuel on the water.
“The plane was not submerged. Every person is alive and accounted for,” the Jacksonville sheriff’s office said on Twitter.
No details were immediately available about how the plane came to leave the runway.
Miami Air International is a charter airline operating a fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Representatives for the airline could not immediately be reached for comment by Reuters on Friday evening.
A Boeing spokesman said that the company was aware of the incident and was gathering information.
