Miracle escape for 163 people as plane splits into two in Guyana

Mtoday news / Mail

Georgetown, Guyana, July 31: A packed airliner carrying 163 people crashed and split in two as it tried to land in the South American country of Guyana.

Caribbean Airlines Boeing 737 overshot the runway at Georgetown’s Cheddi Jagan airport after a flight from New York. Dozens of passengers were injured but no-one was killed, reports said. The front of the plane snapped off and it came to a stop just a short distance from a 200ft ravine.

 

 

Reports said around 100 passengers required medical attention, and several others were taken to hospital.

The airline’s chairman, George Nicholas, said it was "an absolute miracle" that there were no deaths.

 Passengers screamed when the plane lost control and many fled down emergency inflatable slides when it finally came to a stop.

 

Terror: Passengers struggled to find their way out of the broken fuselage of the Boeing 737-800 in the dark

Horror crash: Rescue workers at the scene this morning after the Caribbean Airlines Boeing 737-800 broke in half when it overshot the runway in Guyana

A Caribbean Airlines jet en route from New York crashed in Guyana today and split in two upon hitting the runway, but none of the 163 people on board were killed.

 

About 100 people received medical attention for injuries, which included broken legs and scratches.

Several passengers are still hospitalized, local officials said. There appears to have been no fire after the crash, allowing passengers to exit the plane safely. People said they scrambled out through the emergency exit and over the wings.

 

 

Smashed: The impact was so great that the plane’s fuselage broke in half entirely