3 killed after plane slides off runway in Turkey's Istanbul

ISTANBUL - Three people were killed and 180 others were injured when a plane slided off the runway at Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen International Airport, Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya announced on Thursday.

The accident happened at 6:19 pm on Wednesday when a plane of Turkey's Pegasus Airlines with 183 people on board skidded off the runway shortly after landing.

At a press conference in the airport, Yerlikaya said 22 foreign nationals from 12 countries were among the passengers on the plane flying from Turkey's western city of Izmir.

Yerlikaya earlier noted that the plane could not grasp the runway because of bad weather conditions and fell toward a road from a height of 30 to 40 meters.

Video footage aired by Turkish TV broadcasters showed that the front part of the aircraft was torn apart, and the plane was split into three parts.

Press reports said there are still people trapped under the wreckage of the plane and the rescue operation is continuing.

Press reports also said four American and four Chinese citizens were among the passengers of the plane coming from Turkey's western city of Izmir.

The NTV broadcaster noted that one Chinese national was wounded and rushed to a nearby hospital.

The airport was reportedly closed to air traffic until further notice.