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Plane Carrying 143 People Crashes Into River In Florida

Plane Carrying 143 People Crashes Into River In Florida

Everyone was evacuated safely.

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

A plane carrying 143 passengers has crashed into a river at a Florida airport.

Emergency services rushed to the scene at Naval Air Station near the city of Jacksonville on Friday night after the plane landed, skidding off the runway and into a nearby river.

All passengers on board the Boeing 737 were safely evacuated and the aircraft did not become fully submerged.

The aeroplane was carrying seven crew members and 136 passengers back from Guantanamo Bay, but none sustained any serious injuries.

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office confirmed that 21 people were taken to nearby hospitals by the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, but all were in a good condition with no critical or serious injuries.

After the plane skidded and left the runway, finishing up in a small body of water, a clean-up operation has also begun to remove what could possibly be jet fuel from the river.

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office confirmed that there were no serious injuries and all passengers were safely removed from the plane.

Authorities have not provided any information about what caused the plane to skid from the runway and crash.

The plane was carrying passengers from the US military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. As a result, most of the people on board the Miami Air flight - with the exception of the crew - are thought to be military personnel.

The wife of one passenger tweeted: "My husband coming off deployment is on this plane."

Another passenger, lawyer Cheryl Bormann, told CNN: "We came down, the plane literally hit the ground and bounced, it was clear the pilot did not have total control of the plane, it bounced again."

She added that had been a 'terrifying' experience.

The mayor of Jacksonville, Lenny Curry, was last night keeping people updated on the developing situation as it happened. Curry also said that the White House had been in touch to see if it could be of any help.

Despite crashing into the shallow St Johns River, the 18-year-old plane actually only sustained a small amount of damage. A full investigation into the cause of the incident will be conducted.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: US News