Ankara: A plane skidded off a runway as it tried to land in Istanbul, crashing into a field and breaking into pieces. Authorities said at least 52 people were injured, and passengers were seen evacuating through the cracks in the plane.

Television footage showed serious damage to the plane, with the fuselage appearing to be broken into three pieces at Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen Airport on Wednesday, local time.

NTV television reported that the plane, which belonged to the low-cost airline Pegasus, arrived from the city of Izmir. NTV said it caught fire after skidding but said the blaze had been extinguished.

The airport was shut down and flights were being diverted to Istanbul's main airport.