Three people have died after a passenger plane skidded off the runway and broke into three pieces after landing at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen airport.
A further 179 people have been injured. The Turkish health minister originally reported that all aboard had survived.
A spokesperson for Pegasus Airlines confirmed the crash but did not provide further details, Reuters reports.
The wounded were being treated at 18 nearby hospitals, Ali Yerlikaya, the governor of Istanbul, had said earlier, adding that the plane was carrying 177 passengers and six crew from the western province of Izmir.
“The plane could not hold on the runway due to poor weather conditions and skidded for around 50 to 60 meters,” Yerlikaya told reporters at the airport.
The Boeing 737-86J split into three pieces after what Yerlikaya said was a drop of around 30 to 40 meters (98 to 131 ft) at the end of the runway. Footage showed the plane landing and continuing at a high speed off the runway.
Yerlikaya said on Twitter that emergency response teams were working to evacuate the passengers.
Footage on Turkish media showed the plane’s fuselage, as well as a section of it near the tail, had broken off. Passengers were being led out as the plane lay on a patch of grass next to the runway.
Earlier footage showed part of the exterior of the plane had caught on fire.