Indian plane crash, 158 dead

22 May 2010 03:13 am

At least 158 people were confirmed dead in an Air India plane crash in southern India early on Saturday, officials said. The accident occurred when the plane overshot the runway of the airport serving the city of Mangalore in Karnataka state. Indian television channels said the flight was coming in from Dubai.

"At least 158 passengers have died in the crash," V.S. Acharya, Home Minister of the southern state of Karnataka, told reporters. A second official also confirmed that 158 people had been killed.

The plane was carrying 163 passengers and nine crew members. Officials had said earlier 169 people were on the plane. "The plane apparently overshot the runway and has crashed. We have news that the plane caught fire after crashing," Rohit Katiyar, a top airport security official, told Reuters.