A Flybe plane has crashed with its nose down at Belfast international airport following an emergency landing.

Fifty six passengers and crew, including a baby, escaped serious injury when flight BE331 to Inverness crashed on Friday. One passenger was taken to hospital and treated for a hand injury.

The plane suffered technical difficulties after it took off from George Best Belfast City airport at aabout 11.20am on Friday. It was forced to circle the city and dump fuel to reduce weight before coming into Belfast international, according to Flybe.

After landing nose-down on the runway at about 1.30pm fire engines rushed to the plane and all passengers and crew were evacuated safely.

A Flybe spokesperson said: “Our primary concern is for the welfare of the passengers and crew. All statements relating to this incident will be posted.

“There are no further reports of any other passenger or crew injuries.”

#BE331 landed without nose gear at Belfast International Airport with minor injuries. 🛬 pic.twitter.com/3yVeAUyeVy — Flight Alerts ⚠ (@FlightAlerts777) November 10, 2017

The spokesperson for the airline said that among the 52 passengers was an infant.

“We are sending a specialist team to Belfast to offer assistance and we will now do all we can to understand the cause of this incident,” the Flybe spokesperson added.

Brian Strutton, general secretary of pilots’ union Balpa, praised the flight crew for the way the emergency was handled.

“The pilots in this case appear to have done a sterling job of bringing the aircraft back under those circumstances,” he said.